Emergency Medicine is tough. It’s challenging, chaotic and unrelenting. That’s why we do it.

We are about developing well-rounded Emergency clinicians and this demands more than just medical knowledge and procedural skills – it demands sound mental and physical health. We invest in our trainees, from our medical students to our interns, residents and registrars, and we are committed to supporting your wellbeing.

We have all needed help during our careers. If you are in need of support we encourage you to come to us so we can get you the help you need and get you back on track.

Mentoring program

All of our registrars are paired with a consultant colleague to monitor their development and progress through the training program. Your mentor is expected to sit down with you at least once per term and explore your progress and plans for the future. You get to set the agenda, and your discussions are confidential. Your mentor should be your first port of call for any questions regarding training options or any personal or workplace issues that you would like to raise.

It is important to find the right fit in a mentor. The mentor-trainee relationships are regularly reviewed and if you would like to change mentors please speak to Anoushka Perera or Michael Sheridan so that a more appropriate match can be made.

Burnout and mental health

Burnout is a common phenomenon in the Emergency Department. It is that insidious combination of exhaustion, compassion fatigue and workplace anhedonia that can progress all too easily into depression and anxiety, infecting your personal life and overall wellbeing.

…around a year of low-grade mood disturbance and anxiety had progressed to increasingly frequent feelings of distress and suicidal ideation … I felt afraid to be “discovered”, that a person experiencing mental health issues would be seen as unstable, unreliable, perhaps not worthy to be a doctor.”
Kristin Boyle, Making a bad thing good, Life in the Fast Lane

We all come face-to-face with burnout once, if not several times, in our working lives. If you are starting to struggle and show signs of burnout the most important first step is to recognise it. Speak to your mentor or senior colleagues about it and start addressing it – we have all had personal experience with it at one time or another, and we can help guide you back to higher ground.

Who to talk to

If you are struggling with issues such as depression, bullying or burnout then the best person to talk to is your mentor. If for any reason this isn’t suitable then any of the Emergency Department consultants are happy to be approached for support.

There may be times when you feel you need to speak to someone outside the department. In this situation the StaffCare clinic can be useful for support, or alternatively the critical care chief resident or the junior medical workforce manager should be approached.

Where to turn for further support

• Download the list of ED mentors for 2016 here

• AMAV First Response
  Phone: 1300 AMA DOC (1300 262 362)
  www.amavic.com.au
  A free and confidential telephone support service for doctors facing workplace bullying, discrimination or harassment. 

• beyondblue Support Service
  Phone: 1300 22 4636
  www.beyondblue.org.au
  A 24 hour phone service for people facing depression, anxiety and for people in crisis. An online chat service is also available between 3pm and midnight.

• Victorian Doctors’ Health Program
  Phone: (03) 9495 6011
  www.vdhp.org.au
  The VDHP offers a confidential and non-judgemental service for doctors and medical students who have health concerns such as stress, mental health problems, substance use problems or any other health issues.

Peer Support Program

In addition to the above, there are inevitably times at work where a specific incident will have an effect on wellbeing. The aim of the peer support program is to provide real time support in this setting. Further information about the program can be accessed here