CCCS Virtual Coffee Mornings Mar31 12 p.m.

Invitation to Join a Virtual Coffee Break Session

Physician isolation is a significant driver of burnout.  Fostering a sense of community is an important driver of professional fulfillment in the Culture of Wellness and Personal Wellness dimensions of the Standford Model of Professional Fulfillment.

The Mayo Clinic has conducted randomized controlled trials demonstrating the efficacy of commensality groups (the practice of eating together). Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased the opportunities for physicians to gather over a meal just as the evidence supporting its’ benefits was being disseminated. Meanwhile, physicians have been meeting “virtually” with colleagues more than ever before.  Regular local and regional meetings, project teams, conferences and other ad hoc networking have all pivoted to online platforms.  With the Mayo program, skeptics said that no one would sign up because everyone was already too busy!  However, within 18 months of launching their program - 50% of eligible individuals had joined a group!

Consequently, the CCCS is offering a COVID-friendly opportunity for you to connect with your peers! Participants will be asked to complete a brief questionnaire, post session. Even if only a fraction of the oxytocin is released compared to trials that demonstrated the benefit of colleagues eating together - it should be time well spent!

Virtual Coffee Break Sessions

               We invite you to join your colleagues for a 50 minute virtual coffee break!

A group of facilitators from the CCCS have been trained to lead these virtual wellness coffee break sessions. Sessions will use a facilitated model with one facilitator for each session. We will limit participation to 3-8 participants per session. We will provide sessions at various times recognizing that we are a society with members across multiple time zones.

Questions for discussion at these sessions will be drawn from Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout: 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace (Swensen and Shanafelt, 2020, Chapter 30, Logistics of Commensality Groups).

If you are interested in engaging with your colleagues in this novel forum please select a session to attend. Attendees who find the session valuable are welcome to attend more than one.