Joy of Medicine Activities from SSVMS.
As physicians we are fortunate that the UC Davis Health System provides membership for all of us at the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society (SSVMS). The SSVMS is a very active organization and many UC Davis Health physicians and students are quite involved in its functioning. A visit to the Society headquarters at 5380 Elvas Ave is very worthwhile as there is an impressive medical museum with artifacts from the practice of medicine going back over a century. Quite fascinating.
Apart from advocating for physicians and providing us with a professional community home and connection to thousands of other physicians in our large region, the SSVMS runs several very impressive programs, especially focused on promoting our well-being and achieving greater Joy in Medicine. Details are at
www.joyofmedicine.org.
I want to bring your attention to four of the current activities as I hope that these will be of interest to many of you:
- Physician Peer Groups (in-person meetups)
Joy of Medicine is providing Sacramento area physicians with the opportunity to meet with a group of colleagues that understand and identify with what it means to be a physician. There are groups located in El Dorado Hills, Rocklin, Davis, Newcastle, and Sacramento. Meetups are held in a local physician's home and are facilitated by a vetted psychologist or life coach. RSVPs are required to participate. Please contact Sam Mello at
smello@ssvms.org to join a group! For more information visit
http://joyofmedicine.org/physician-peer-group/
- Physician Lounges (in-person gatherings)
These small group discussions focus on a monthly topic, provide a place to connect and gain tools to support ourselves and our colleagues through these challenging times. They are facilitated by Amy Ahlfeld, PsyD, and hosted at the Medical Society Offices. RSVPs are required to participate, and space is limited. For more information visit
http://joyofmedicine.org/physician-peer-group/. Light dinner will be provided.
- May 25, 2021, 5:30-6:30pm: Replenishing Our Relationships Post-COVID-19
- June 22, 2021, 5:30-6:30pm: Raising Kids in the COVID-19 Era: Pandemic Parenting Playbook
- July 27, 2021, 5:30-6:30pm: Addressing Burnout in the Time/Aftermath of COVID-19
- August 24, 2021, 5:30-6:30pm: Creating Space for Grief and Gratitude
- Balint Group (virtual sessions)
Become part of the 2021 Balint Group. A Balint group is a group of clinicians who meet regularly to present clinical cases to improve and to better understand the clinician-patient relationship. It focuses on enhancing the clinician’s ability to connect with and care for their patients. A session begins with a member's presenting a case for the group to discuss. During the facilitated discussion, the group members gain new insights about the patient's and clinician’s perspectives and their experiences with each other. These meetings are intended for physicians only. Registrants must commit to attending all sessions. For more information or to register, visit
http://joyofmedicine.org/balint-group/
- Session dates: 4/22, 5/27, 6/24, 7/22, 8/26 & 9/23, 6:30-7:30pm
- Listen to the Joy of Medicine “On Call” podcasts.
These are available anytime via all major podcast apps. I have been hosting them for the past year and my last three interviews with local physicians are:
- “Empathy and Data: A Path Toward Healing” - Dr. Megan Babb
- “Recovering from Physician Burnout.” - Dr. Carol Kimball
- “Time Management, Support and Wellness” - Dr. Deanne Nyland
Hopefully you will find these interesting and can propose some interviewees for future podcasts.
Personally, I have appreciated becoming involved with colleagues at the SSVMS. This physician community is very welcoming and encourages members to participate as much as you wish.
If you want to obtain any more information about any of the SSVMS activities, please go to their website at
www.ssvms.org or contact Lindsay Coate directly at
lcoate@ssmvs.org.
Enjoy.
