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“Hustle culture” is ingrained in so many of us in this field, and as our guest on the Faculty Factory Podcast this week, Jennifer Bickel, MD, argues, the busiest among us need to slow down and find time for wellness the most.
Dr. Bickel is a neurologist, and in 2024, she joined the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston as vice president and chief wellness officer.
“Along the way, when did we start thinking that fun was not professional?” Dr. Bickel ponders, arguing that injecting fun is crucial to our work.
Wellness used to be looked at as a nice-to-have, not a mission-critical aspect of academic health, but those days are over. Not feeling valued is a leading cause of burnout, and how/why to show more appreciation for each other is a crucial aspect of this interview.
The effects of chronic stress on the brain make us see an impending change as more of a threat than as an opportunity. It also leads us to show up with cynicism rather than empathy (not ideal for any line of work, especially one that includes clinical care).
By staying super busy all the time and not getting sufficient breaks, we are much more likely to make mistakes. It’s crucial to breathe, take a step back, and reflect regularly, because when you attempt to grind your way through everything, you actually don’t have the time to keep the status quo.
Companion resources from this interview: