Not a day goes by that there isn’t a headline about the overstretched health service and the struggling professionals within it. It isn’t COVID that has created this situation. The pandemic was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.At the RACP Congress in May, ENT surgeon Eric Levi explained why burnout should be considered not as a mental health condition but as an occupational disorder. And apart from the stressors of the job itself and the work relationships, the medical profession has a way of consuming one’s personal life. Associate Professor Michelle Telfer talked about being hounded for two years by the conservative press over her work with young people struggling with their gender identity. And pain specialist Olivia Ong described how she’d been driven by an unhealthy professional identity until a traumatic spinal injury forced her to reconsider the meaning of self-care. Both physicians found the courage to take control of the situation and define their roles on their own terms.GuestsEric Levi FRACS (Royal Children's Hospital; St Vincent's Hospital; Ear, Nose and Throat Victoria)Associate Professor Michelle Telfer FRACP (Director Adolescent Medicine, Director Gender Service at Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne; Murdoch Children’s Research Institute)Dr Olivia Ong FAFRM FFPMANZCA (Monash Health, Advance Healthcare)ProductionWritten and produced by Mic Cavazzini DPhil. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Into the Bone’ by Taylor Crane, ‘Below the Horizon’ and ‘Haunted Heart’ by Dawn Dawn Dawn and ‘Exploring the Lake’ by View Points. Photo image by Paul R. Giunta licenced through Getty Images. WellbeingDoctor’s Health Advisory Service Helpline Aotearoa-NZ: 800 471 2654NSW/ACT: 02 9437 6552VIC: 03 9280 8712TAS: 03 9280 8712SA: 08 8366 0250NT: 08 8366 0250QLD: 07 3833 4352WA: 08 9321 3098LifelineAustralia: 13 11 14.Aotearoa-NZ: 0800 54 33 54 Converge International Aotearoa-NZ: 0800 666 367 Australia : 1300 687 327For a transcript and further references please visit our website. Subscribe to email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, or any podcasting app. Fellows of the RACP can claim CPD credits for listening via MyCPD.

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