The Training Office: A conversation about mental health by trainees, for trainees.

Creativity is a concept that is often considered too broad, too vague and too nuanced to incorporate into the structured world of residency. But can exploring the world of the abstract help us to become more astute, caring and well-rounded physicians?  Dr.Rossi, PGY4 at Cooper University Hospital, discusses his experience with exploring various avenues of creative expression, including advocacy and social media outreach. We discuss what it means to build influence during these uncertain times and how one can leverage creativity to create more agency in a designated speciality. 

In this episode we discuss the following: 

- What does creativity mean and how can it manifest within the confines of residency? 

- What types of outlets should trainees get involved with to further develop their creative interests? 

- What are the setbacks of such exposure during training and how can trainees avoid such pitfalls? 

- What kinds of advocacy should residents and fellow engage in to have more agency in how they practice? 

- How can we work to ensure that such outlets are encouraged during training? 

The "B" word comes with multiple implications. From the shame associated with the lack of performance to implications about what it could mean as future obstacles present themselves, many clinicians do everything they can to avoid brining up their suffering to supervisors. How can we reframe the concept of burnout to ensure that people respond rather than react? The co-hosts of the Shrinking Burnout podcast, Dr. Andrew Wu and Dr. Varsha Radhakrishnan discuss how they breach the topic with their guests and what they have discovered is helpful in addressing the needs of trainees during times of unrelenting stress.  

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The concept of peer mentorship is often discussed in vague, non-specific ways within the context of residency. Why is mentorship such an essential piece of the training experience and what can trainees gleam from ensuring that they gleam all they can from their mentors? Dr.Alaa ElNajjar, a child/adolescent psychiatry fellow at Albert Einstein School of Medicine, discusses Buddies Space: an innovative project aimed at connecting trainees to advisors and mentors who can give them the appropriate guidance and support based on their individual academic and personal interests. 

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The American Psychiatric Association is the largest organization of psychiatric professionals in the world. While residents and fellows are often members of the APA, most are not aware of what kinds of opportunities for career advancement such organizations can provide. Dr.Rebecca Brendel, a psychiatrist, lawyer and advocate for organizational psychiatry, shares personal stories of how she became involved with the APA and how trainees can further invest in their futures by becoming key decision-makers in the local and national psychiatric organizations. 

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International medical graduates (IMGs) make up nearly one fourth of the trainee work-force across medical specialties. Moving from one country to another, dealing with the nuances of a foreign language and the culture shock of working in the United States often leaves many IMGs feeling isolated and disengaged. How can training programs support the unique needs of our IMG colleagues? I speak to Dr.Souparno Mitra, a PGY2 in New York City, about his experience of immigrating to the United States for residency training. Dr.Mitra shares his challenges, triumphs and what he hopes to see programs do to support the unique needs of IMGs during such a transformative time in their lives. 

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Equity in health care is a challenging and often overlooked endeavor. As trainees, we often don't realize that we can take initiative in empowering patients with resources, education and appropriate outlets to meet their needs outside of the clinical setting. Dr.Khandai, a C/L psychiatrist at the University of Illinois Chicago speaks about how we can all take steps to ensure that we are aware of biases in the clinical setting and how we can work to offset them by prioritizing equity.  

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Program directors are the proverbial "boss" of a training program. While they may not be engaged with residents and fellows on a daily basis, their input and expertise is what makes or breaks the culture of a program. So what should trainees look for in a program director when deciding to choose or rank a program? Dr.Lindsay Poplinski, a PGY2 in psychiatry at Ohio Riverside Methodist Hospital, shares her insight into the qualities that trainees look for in a program director and what future trainees can do to ensure that they choose the program that is right for them. 

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While our training programs often ensure that our clinical acumen is up-to-date, they often fall short of preparing us for the harsh business realities of life outside of training. What lessons should training programs breach to ensure a smooth transition from training to practice? Dr. Jenice Kim, a recent graduate of the USC psychiatry training program and new attending, shares her insights about the challenges she faced as she was thrusted into the world of independent practice after training. 

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