Strategies to support and retain women physicians
– Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC

Apple Podcast | Spotify

Episode 92 | Duration: 32:39

After experiencing burnout as a young primary care physician, Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC, made the difficult decision to leave practice and pursue a career in writing. Her focus for 20 years was highlighting ways to address communication gaps, system inefficiency and patient safety problems. Eventually, Diane’s personal experience with burnout led her to focus on calling attention to the epidemic of physician burnout. She subsequently co-authored Preventing Physician Burnout: Curing the Chaos and Returning Joy to the Practice of Medicine. Today, she applies what she's learned to help women physicians build careers that are satisfying and sustainable. In addition, she continues to advocate for healthcare system change through speaking engagements, her podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as a Woman in Medicine and her blog.

In this episode of Caring Greatly, Diane talks about the research exploring why women physicians tend to reduce work hours or leave their profession at higher rates than their male counterparts. The reasons are far more structural and cultural than biological, including differences in expectations and accountability – both on the part of fellow team members and of patients. She shares the underlying data behind this trend that point to fixes that are less about training and conformity and more centered on a shift in healthcare culture that values relationships and connection over transactions. It’s an approach that generally leads to better care outcomes. Diane concludes with her perspective on how structural and policy changes can support the long-term career viability and joy in practice for women physicians and other women clinicians.

Related links

• About Diane Shannon: Website, blog and podcast
• UCSF Health: Lactation support policy for clinicians
• New England Journal of Medicine perspective: Getting rid of stupid stuff (subscription required)