As our profession struggles to address the current crisis of burnout, it is important for us as individuals to learn the tools necessary to protect ourselves.  We rarely get a break from the constant assault on our psyche and morale from our work environment, whether it be from patient care, social factors, or administrative burdens.  

Thankfully, we can teach ourselves the quality of Resilience - the ability to bounce back from stressful circumstances, e.g. from a difficult encounter, from a medical mistake. Resilience allows us to be more adaptable and positive in response to change and adversity. Resilient physicians are able to retain their sense of purpose in their profession, and therefore resist burnout.

Developing a sense of gratitude, a heart-centered practice in mindfulness, is one of the tools that can help us see the positive in life when faced with adversity and setbacks. It can help us not become cynical in our practice and in our lives and can work as a powerful antidote to burnout. 

This talk will focus on some simple but effective ways of developing this heart-centered practice of gratitude in our lives, becoming more resilient, and preserving the meaning and purpose in our profession. 

Pranav Shah, M.D. is a practicing psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente in Orange County. He is an assistant clinical professor at Western University of Health Sciences. He has been practicing and teaching mindful meditation for the past 10 years. He is trained in MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) under Jon Kabat-Zinn & Saki Santorelli and has had meditation training with the Vipassana Center.

Dr. Shah teaches Wellness, Burnout Prevention, & Mindful Meditation to healthcare professionals, and runs a mindful meditation therapy group for chronic pain patients.