Meaning in medicine groups as part of faculty development.

ABSTRACT

Health care workers engaged in work that they find personally meaningful are less likely to experience professional burnout. However, health care often involves tedious and burdensome tasks. While physicians are often asked to complete tasks that are less satisfying, creating space to focus on the meaningful parts of patient care is helpful to changing the focus of the mind. We report on the integration of Meaning in Medicine groups in a faculty development program at family medicine residency programs. These groups were created to increase faculty satisfaction, team cohesion, and engagement. Each session starts with an item for reflection - a video, article, or story - and is designed to provide a safe space for discussion of the joys in medicine. Group sizes of 8 to 15, dedicated time, and establishment of ground rules have been essential for success of these meetings.