Stress and Self Care for Our Junior Doctors with Dr Rebekah Hoffman

Our doctors help to keep us well, but who looks after the doctors when they're struggling with stress, exhaustion and overwhelm? My guest today is Dr Rebekah Hoffman, a GP (General Practitioner) in regional NSW, a University lecturer and a PhD candidate at the University of Wollongong. As a junior doctor Rebekah began to struggle with the effects of long hours, limited sleep and a heavy workload. Following a holiday during which she realised that she was no longer the person she wanted to be, she changed the trajectory of her career and began to research the effects of stress and burnout on her fellow junior doctors. In this conversation Rebekah explains: •The challenging nature of work as an early career doctor - the hours, the workload and the expectations •The social and technological changes that make medicine today a vastly more complex field than it once was •The psychology of a junior doctor - the expectations of self that both drive and sometimes thwart those who pursue the profession •Her research into stress and burnout in junior doctors and the three factors that contribute to it Rebekah and I also explore: •Her tips for self care and preventing burnout - tips that apply to all of us •The important role of mentors in medicine and allied professions •The media-driven changes that are shaping the profession for future generations. This is a must-listen conversation for early career doctors, medical students and those who teach, care, work with and support them. Find out more at potential.com.au/podcast --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/potentialpsychology/message