25 min
Dr. Mom and COVID-19: The stress of being in constant demand Sound Mind: conversations about physician wellness and medical culture
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- Medicine
Working mothers have suffered tremendous levels of stress throughout the pandemic – and doctors are no exception. A recent study found that physician mothers scored substantially higher on measures of anxiety and depression than physician fathers, in part because they’ve had to take on a disproportionate share of the increased childcare and online schooling needs.
“When COVID-19 first started, my thoughts as a mother and a physician were… overwhelming. As women, we often make such frequent micro and macro decisions for our families, or patients or partners, and I think I speak for many women when I say the weight of those decisions felt so heavy and overwhelming.” — Dr. Rita Watterson, Psychiatrist
On this episode, host Dr. Caroline Gérin-Lajoie speaks to two mothers in medicine — Calgary psychiatrist Dr. Rita Watterson and Winnipeg cardiologist Dr. Shelley Zieroth — about their mental health and careers in the face of COVID-19 and what medical culture can do to better support physician moms.
Want to learn more about physician wellness? Visit the CMA Physician Wellness Hub for curated, clinically-based tools, resources, and research on all the topics covered in this podcast.
Working mothers have suffered tremendous levels of stress throughout the pandemic – and doctors are no exception. A recent study found that physician mothers scored substantially higher on measures of anxiety and depression than physician fathers, in part because they’ve had to take on a disproportionate share of the increased childcare and online schooling needs.
“When COVID-19 first started, my thoughts as a mother and a physician were… overwhelming. As women, we often make such frequent micro and macro decisions for our families, or patients or partners, and I think I speak for many women when I say the weight of those decisions felt so heavy and overwhelming.” — Dr. Rita Watterson, Psychiatrist
On this episode, host Dr. Caroline Gérin-Lajoie speaks to two mothers in medicine — Calgary psychiatrist Dr. Rita Watterson and Winnipeg cardiologist Dr. Shelley Zieroth — about their mental health and careers in the face of COVID-19 and what medical culture can do to better support physician moms.
Want to learn more about physician wellness? Visit the CMA Physician Wellness Hub for curated, clinically-based tools, resources, and research on all the topics covered in this podcast.
25 min