The Journey Within

A reflection on the challenges and joys of practicing medicine as a Catholic physician: God often leads us on paths we could not have imagined, and there is a beauty in the surrender to His will. The practice of medicine is increasingly challenging and yet we are called to shine brightly and to live out our vocations without fear, as stumbling blocks to our colleagues. Written from the perspective of a first-year resident in general surgery, this essay is a collection of experiences aimed at inspiring hope and providing encouragement to other Catholic physicians on our collective journey through the practice of medicine as a vocation. Summary: A collection of short stories from medical school, graduate school and the first year of residency, with reflections on the personal transformation that occurs along the journey of practicing as a Catholic physician scientist.

The Recent Pathology Residency Graduate Job Search Experience: A Synthesis of 5 Years of College of American Pathologists Job Market Surveys

Context.— Pathology residents and fellows tailor their training and job search strategies to an actively evolving specialty in the setting of scientific and technical advances and simultaneous changes in health care economics. Objective.— To assess the experience and outcome of the job search process of pathologists searching for their first non-fellowship position. Design.— The College of American Pathologists (CAP) Graduate Medical Education Committee has during the past 5 years sent an annual job search survey each June to CAP junior members and fellows in practice 3 years or less who have actively searched for a non-fellowship position. Results.— Job market indicators including job interviews, job offers, positions accepted, and job satisfaction have remained stable during the 5 years of the survey. Most survey respondents who had applied for at least 1 position had accepted a position at the time of the survey, and most applicants who had accepted a position were satisfied or very satisfied. However, most attested that finding a non-fellowship position was difficult. Despite a perceived push toward subspecialization in surgical pathology, the reported number of fellowships completed was stable. Respondent demographics were not associated with job search success with 1 significant exception: international medical school graduate respondents reported greater perceived difficulty in finding a position, and indeed, fewer reported having accepted a position. Conclusions.— Pathology residents and fellows seeking their first position have faced a relatively stable job market during the last 5 years, with most accepting positions with which they were satisfied.

What Is the Impact of Online Training in Mind–Body Skills?

Background. Mind–body skills (MBS) training is popular, but in-person training can be inconvenient and costly. We assessed the impact of online MBS training on clinicians’ and trainees’ stress, mindfulness, and confidence in providing calm, compassionate care. Methods. This was a prospective cohort trial. Trainees entering medical school; graduate programs in nursing, social work, and dietetics; and residencies in family medicine and pediatrics at a large Midwestern academic health center were invited to complete online surveys before and 12 weeks after enrolling in online elective integrative health courses on MBS training or not. The elective offered no course credit and had no mandated deadlines for completion. Results. At baseline, the 60 who engaged in MBS training were similar to the 43 who did not in terms of profession, gender, perceived stress levels, mindfulness, resilience, and compassion. MBS participants engaged in a median of 3 of 12 available modules with a bimodal distribution peaking at 1 to 2 and 12 modules. Twelve weeks later, those who participated in MBS showed significantly greater improvements in measures of stress, mindfulness, and confidence in providing calm, compassionate care than those who did not. Conclusions. Online elective training offers a feasible strategy to improve mindfulness, stress, and confidence in providing calm, compassionate care. Additional studies are needed to determine the impact of required versus elective courses, the optimal dosage and content of training, and the costs and benefits of online versus in-person training.

The Case of the New Family Physician and the Practicing Pediatrician in Delivery of Health Care for Children in Canada

The College of Family Physicians of Canada has evolved a firm philosophy of its new image. The medical school graduate of the future will enter a two-year program partly hospital-based and partly community clinic-or private office-based to develop the adequate skills necessary to render primary care in internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and trauma, with a continual infusion of knowledge related to the psychosocial dynamics of family life. This new physician will require the services of the social worker, the public health nurse, the school nurse, the psychologist, the family counsellor and the psychiatrist.