Table 1 Course content
Themes | Methods |
|---|---|
Professionalism | Reflective questioning. How do we learn? The difference between the ‘formal and informal’ curriculum. How do we deal with professional challenges? Some examples, and small group work |
How Doctors think | Appreciative inquiry. Heuristics/ rational thinking. Factors that affect effective thinking. Biases: conscious and unconscious. An exploration of the factors that can influence a doctor’s decision-making ability |
Witnessing suffering | What is suffering? An exploration of the causes/ consequences (both personal and professional), importantly in this session (although to an extent in every session), we look at the impact that suffering burnout and a lack of self-compassion has on the whole of our lives, not just the medical part) |
Medical errors | Why do doctors make errors? What are typical responses to an error? What responses can be detrimental/ what other responses can be more skilful? An exploration of the impact (on the body/ mind and feelings) that errors has, as well as the subsequent impact on performance/ self-confidence. Alternative ways of handling/ responding to and dealing with medical errors are explored in smoke detail |
Wellbeing and Burnout | How does burnout differ from depression? What are the causes and consequences? What are the thoughts / feelings and sensations associated with reduced/ reducing performance versus optimum performance? What are the workplace/ personal factors that contribute to this? What can we put in place to pre-empt and prevent? |
Handling conflict compassionately | What makes a functional team? Personal attitudes/ beliefs/ attitudes of others? Are there signs that we are ‘heading towards’ conflict? What are these? How do they manifest in the body and the mind? How do we communicate this to others? How do we communicate with ourselves? To what extent a conflict with others a manifestation of conflict within us? |