Internet CME Course: MedPEP, the Medical Professionals Empowerment Program MedPEP) – Episode 9: Medicine is a Team Sport

Activity ID

2949

Expires

January 23, 2028

Format Type

Internet

CME Credit

1.0

Fee

$0

CME Provider: Massachusetts Medical Society

Description of CME Course

MedPEP, the Medical Professionals Empowerment Program, is a Free podcast series jointly provided by Physician Health Services, Inc. (PHS) and the Massachusetts Medical Society.  PHS is a charitable organization dedicated to improving the health, well-being and effectiveness of physicians and medical students.

Regulations, technology, organizational complexity, and the explosion of medical knowledge have created a perfect storm for most practicing health professionals. Physician burnout rates now exceed 50%. MedPEP’s star, Dr. Marie Curious, is a young, primary care internist who has started to fantasize about leaving the profession that she loves. On her MedPEP journey, Marie joins Dr. Les Schwab and a group of specialized physicians, coaches, and other experts, who offer a broad range of practical techniques to help her survive and thrive in today’s tough medical environment. The territory they cover includes nutrition, exercise, getting along with difficult colleagues, dealing with bureaucracy and bosses, multi-tasking, system improvement, meditation, and addiction. The MedPEP journey helps Marie, and other health professionals facing similar challenges, gain insight into practical methods for empowering themselves as well as their teams, employers, and the broken system.

Psychologist and Coach Alan Morse focuses on assessing and addressing physicians’ problems from individual, team, and organizational perspectives. He suggests that the same analytical skills that physicians utilize to assess patients’ conditions may be applied to one’s self and one’s practice. Understanding organizational culture is a must, and solutions should be viewed through the lens of the team. Hierarchical differences between team members take a back seat to the good of the patients and the harmonious functioning of the team, and these typically align. Sticking points may necessitate that leaders weigh in on potential solutions, as well as modification of policies. Dr. Curious is somewhat skeptical about her ability to implement this approach in her particular practice situation, which is busy and seems hopelessly hierarchical at times. However, she is willing to start addressing her day-to-day frustrations more openly and seems to be gaining comfort with a more active and assertive problem-solving stance. She is encouraged to stay the course in solving problems at the practice level and is beginning to integrate the perspective of organizational management with her own.

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