As a new resident, it is not uncommon for me to find myself in highly emotionally charged patient encounters. During these encounters I often find myself feeling incredible warmth and compassion for patients.   I have often heard of how a highly empathic style can lead to burnout, but this has not been my experience. I have found a compassionate style to be energizing, so I looked to recent literature to ask why some individuals are burnt out by compassion, whereas others are uplifted by…

Dear Colleagues

I had the opportunity to present rounds at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. These  are academic subspecialty rounds in Occupational Medicine and the title and content reflect that bias. Occupational Medicine it is one of those boutique small niche subspecialties that the Royal college is trying  to get rid of  by amalgamation with something else.

In a separate blog after I've  wormed them out, I'll send along a bibliography of additional sources that…

When I hear colleagues' stories of their struggles to fit into our profession while facing personal challenges, such as disability or illness, I often feel a great sense of sadness.  I know colleagues who have pushed themselves to their limits to prove their worth, and I think that our medical culture is behind this trend.

Near the end of my undergraduate medical training, I rushed around the surgical ward not listening to my body, until the sleep deprivation and exhaustion led to a…

CAPD president, Dr. Vera Krejcik, describing the early months of her disability experience

Vital Signs Article.pdf