1. Wellness Champions Retreat #4
October 30, 2018

2. Wellness Champion Mission Statement
Mission:  Psychological, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being are critical for a competent, caring, and resilient health care professional. Saint Louis University School of Medicine will foster a culture of well-being and self-care through its Wellness Champion Program.
Vision: The Wellness Champion Program will facilitate wellness activities in Graduate Medical and Graduate Research Education through the personal and collaborative activities of the Wellness Champions and will support the development of wellness initiatives within programs at the School of Medicine.  

3. • The Resilient Physician: Effective Emotional Management for Doctors and Their Medical Organizations, Wayne M Sotile & Mary O. Sotile
• The Medical Marriage: Sustaining Healthy Relationships for Physicians and Their Families, Wayne M. Sotile & Mary O. Sotile
• Staying Human During Residency Training, 4th ed., Allan D. Peterkin, MD
• Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges 1st edi, 2012, Steven M. Southwick
• The BASICS – Strategies for coping with stress and building resilience for physicians – free
PDF -
Dr. Michael Kaufmann, OMA Physician Health Program Founder and Emeritus PHP Medical Director

4. Agenda Mindfulness Exercise Discussion Reflection with Father Murphy
Resilience factor #3&4: moral compass, religion, and spirituality

5. Opening: Mindfulness Exercise

6. Group Discussion
Challenge: What was one wellness activity you have done since retreat #2?
Open discussion

7. Reflection with Father Murphy
Handout provided

8. Resilience Factors Realistic optimism Facing fear
Moral Compass, Ethics, & Altruism
Spirituality/Religion
Social Support
Role models
Exercise
Cognitive & Emotional training
Cognitive & Emotional Flexibility
Find your purpose
the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.
Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges Drs. Southwick and Charney

9. Moral Compass, Ethics, Altruism & Resilience
Altruism = selflessness, concern for the welfare of others, and giving to others with no expectation of benefit to self. Can be a pillar of one’s moral compass. Is associated with increased resilience.
Courage= “”endurance of the soul” Stockdale, 1995, p 16
Moral Courage = “standing up for values…the willingness to take a tough stand for the right in face of danger…the courage to do the right thing…the quality of mind and spirit that enables one to face up to the ethical challenges firmly and confidently without flinching or retreating” Kidder 2006, p 72
3 components:
Commit to a core set of moral values and principles
Recognize that standing up for these principles we may face danger
Do what we know is right, even if it means loss, disapproval or shame
Enchiridion by Epictetus

10. Strengthening Moral Courage
1. Self – assessment:
What are my core values and beliefs?
Which are most important to me?
Am I living by these principles?
Where do I fall short?
2. Discuss with principled people whose ethics you admire. Honestly evaluate the risks/dangers of defending my core values.
3. Practice. Uphold moral values in daily situations. Avoid avoidance! Giraffe Project

11. What is a real life example?
Share with your neighbor a real clinical example when you or a colleague did use your moral compass, and one in which you wish you had done more. How did this affect you? How has it changed your practice?

12. Religion and Spirituality
American culture, 92% believe in God or a universal spirit, 81% believe in heaven, 70% believe in heaven or hell (Gallop Poll, Newport, 2007)
Religion = “a path to God, the Source of Being”
Spirituality = “that essential human endowment in which direct experience of God can take place” (Ann Graber, psychologist, in The Journey Home)
Faith, Guilt, Forgiveness important constructs. How do these manifest in our daily practice of medicine? Ex: post-adverse events, guilt, self forgiveness

13. Religion & Spirituality: Practical practice
Set aside time for prayer or meditation daily
Make a regular habit of reading scriptures, sacred texts or other writings pertaining to your chosen faith or practice
Designate a physical location for your practice. Maybe this is in your car.
Practice a physically active form of spirituality such as walking prayer, yoga, martial arts or liturgical dance
Practice a creative form of spirituality: playing music, drawing/painting, writing
Become part of a group that worships or practices together.

14. Thank you!