Statement of Purpose
“Never worry alone.”
These are the three words I tell my patients, my friends, and myself. I say these three words to myself whenever I get anxious, something that happens a lot as I am an Early Career Psychiatrist (ECP) trying to navigate all the new regulations, business agreements, and clinical updates at work. Thankfully I am not alone. Many times I have turned to my mentors, peers, and friends in the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the Alabama Psychiatric Physicians Association for advice and comfort while navigating difficult issues at work. As ECP Trustee, I would champion the mentoring aspect of the APA for ECPs, as it is precisely during the ECP transition that residents lose contact with many of their peers, friends, and mentors from training, leaving them to worry alone.
I have heard many harrowing stories from ECPs about their unbelievable work situations. These stories included embezzlement, unfair work deals, unethical visa arrangements, poor clinical outcomes, and staff circumventing their orders. No wonder 50% of physicians change jobs within two years of residency. Such a staggering statistic suggests that many physicians are unable to correct these unhealthy work environments and are instead forced to leave, thereby placing a significant toll on their practice, family, and patients.
It’s clear how many of us come to find ourselves in such an unhealthy work environment. We have many pressures to find a job, but little education in how to accomplish this as we leave residency and begin our professional careers. This leaves us to worry if we are being fairly compensated, or to worry about paying off our significant amount of debt. Others worry about building their practice and then worry that they are being too accommodating to their patients. For those who work with others, we worry about how much control over our practice is reasonable to request. Without resolution, these worries create an unhealthy work environment and the probability of burnout. All of these worries factor into if a job is “right” for someone or not. Thankfully, research shows there is a systematic way to evaluate and improve the work environment, reducing uncertainty and the likelihood of burnout. The six factors are manageable workload, control over clinic decisions, income, camaraderie with peers, fair treatment in the workplace, and shared ethical values with the employer.
As ECP Trustee my goal would be to develop and promote the “Never Worry Alone” program, a program that uses education and mentoring to show how ECPs can avoid burnout and improve their job satisfaction. Specifically, the program would help APA and District Branches better meet the mentoring needs of the ECPs. Educational programs would discuss factors that influence job satisfaction and practical guides would help ECPs create healthy work environments. By specifically targeting the needs and concerns of ECPs with such outreach and education, I would envision that more RFMs and ECPs would see the benefit of remaining a member of the APA, and why membership can enhance their practice and job satisfaction.
Curriculum Vitae
Download Paul O'Leary's curriculum vitae.