The Yale School of Medicine community gathered at the Harkness Auditorium on September 9 to hear Lt. Vivek H. Murthy, MD ’03, MBA ’03Surgeon General, Department of Health and Human Services, Speech at 24th Annual Samuel O. Tear Health Care Policy Lecture.
The Medical Grand Rounds session “Conversations with the U.S. Surgeon General” Gary V. Desir, M.D.Chief of Internal Medicine, Moderator Marcella Nunez Smith, MD, MHS, Associate Dean of Health Equity Studies, and CNH Long Professor of Internal Medicine (General Medicine), Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases), and Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences). Longtime colleagues Murthy and Nunez-Smith returned to medical residency to talk about Murthy’s journey into medicine, healthcare worker burnout, and his thoughts on the future of the medical field.
“[Murthy’s] This work has provided clear, consistent and unbiased guidance and resources for the public.” Nancy J. Brown, MD, Gene and David W. Wallace Dean of Yale School of Medicine and CNH Long Professor of Internal Medicine. “His work addresses major public issues such as the proliferation of health misinformation as a real problem over the past few years, the ongoing youth mental health crisis, and wellbeing burnout among healthcare workers. I’ve been focused.”
“It has been a great privilege to work with Dr Mercy during the transition period and first year. [Biden] “The federal response to COVID-19 and the administration to promote health equity at large,” said Nunez-Smith. “We are so grateful that he joined our conversation to highlight the important work of the Office of the Surgeon General and bring an inspiring perspective to the next generation of healthcare work and leaders. He is a national treasure.”
A non-linear journey into medicine
Mercy was inspired to become a doctor by her parents, who ran a clinic in Miami. However, his path was not linear. During his undergraduate years at Harvard, he pursued his interests in history, economics, and literature, but when he studied HIV and felt the same inspiration he saw his parents as a child, he finally found was pulled back into the world of health. clinic.
Murthy holds an MD from the Yale School of Medicine. But by the end of his residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, he realized he didn’t know what he wanted to do. He decides to take a part-time job as a hospitalist while trying to figure out his next steps. He carried around yellow paper to record his ideas, much of which ended up in the trash. “It was a challenging, confusing and lonely time,” he said.
“I was really lost. Everyone else figured it out. They were going to apply for this fellowship or this primary care job,” he said. I was one of the people.”
Finally, in 2007, he felt his passion rekindled. As the presidential candidate began preparing for the next year’s election, the two sides were actively discussing health care. As a doctor, I saw firsthand the burnout and cynicism I felt toward the system. He became interested in joining the ongoing conversation and working to improve the situation for healthcare workers.
Reflecting on his journey, Mercy offered some advice. The first, he said, is to take risks. We often tend to miscalculate that the risks are greater than they actually are. His second piece of advice for him was to think short-term rather than long-term. He explained that while it might seem wise to have a five- or ten-year strategy, most successful people stray from their initial plan. And finally, he advised the audience to hold anchor.
“None of us can navigate these paths alone,” he said. “We all have moments of uncertainty and doubt. It’s moments like that that people need.”
Addressing healthcare worker burnout
In May, Mercy General Recommendations for Surgeons Call attention to healthcare worker burnout.He wanted to show a path for his team to tackle the issue and help the public understand the gravity of the crisis. We got here through cultural factors, all of which contribute to where we are.” “But we are all on board here. [in addressing burnout]”
Murthy hopes to ease some of the burden by working to change the culture of healthcare in a way that redefines strength. Traditionally, many healthcare professionals have felt pressured to hide their feelings of struggle and uncertainty. Healthcare providers value how providers care for patients and their families more than how long they can work.
“Our promotion system is based primarily on publications and grants, with less emphasis on compassion, kindness and bedside care,” he said. It is certainly not a culture that supports and does not serve patients, so we need to take a closer look at the culture of our training programs and health care system to ensure that it reflects the culture that is right for our clinicians and their jobs. there is.”
Reflections on the future of medicine
It’s not an easy time to be a clinician. As crisis after crisis permeates media headlines, it can be easy to get discouraged. But the people Murthy works with keep Murthy hopeful for the future of medicine. “The reason I feel optimistic is that our nature is not to fight each other. increase.”
He was particularly inspired by the many medical students who worked hard to come up with solutions during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said it is this leadership and commitment to making a difference that the United States needs to tackle the issues facing it, including climate change, poverty, and racial inequality. He hopes more health workers will be at the forefront of the conversation about these pressing social issues with “strength, confidence, clarity and compassion”.
“Whether the world changes for the better in the future depends on how bright your light shines. And it depends on how much we help each other.”
