Dealing with Stress and Burnout in OMFS (with Dr. Ben Hechler)

There are two important aspects when dealing with stress and burnout: what it is and how you perceive and respond to it. Dr. Ben Hechler, a third-generation dentist, is here to share his knowledge and personal experiences as comfort and support for those struggling. Ben leads the conversation by exploring his dealings with verbal abuse, bullying, and managing patients’ unrealistic expectations about availability, patient-doctor contact, and priorities. Changes in technology, western culture, and ideas of individual importance have put more pressure on doctors than ever before. There is a common feeling of not having enough hours in a day, struggling to find a balance between home life and work, and the inability to manage documentation, administration, and prescriptions. Ben discusses the pros and cons of academic medicine, how to control your schedule, changing your perspective, and determining your perception of your own success. It is time to start advocating for your income, acknowledging your value, and setting expectations for your own life!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Ben’s main stressors as a surgeon.
• Seven reasons doctors are leaving medicine.
• The common occurrence of difficult, rude patients.
• The non-stop abuse of availability and expectations.
• The most common form of patient bullying Ben experiences.
• What is leading to patients’ skewed ideas of a doctor's priorities. 
• The importance of upfront expectations and transparency. 
• The effects of OR availability shortages.
• How Ben has dealt with long hours and lack of family time.
• Why you need to remember that after residency you are in control of your schedule.
• Why surgeons tend to think they can achieve balancing everything.
• How Ben manages the administrative loads and electronic/written records.
• The general consensus is that salaries are not matching workloads.
• What keeps Ben feeling joyful in his life.
• The pros and cons of being in academic medicine.
• Burnout: how to avoid it during your daily grind of work.
• It is time to change your perception!
• Ben gives advice to residents: there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
• How to perceive other people's negativity.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Ben Hechler on Linkedin — https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-hechler/

‘7 Reasons Doctors Are Leaving Medicine' — https://www.healthgrades.com/pro/7-reasons-doctors-are-leaving-medicine

Transformative Healthcare — https://www.amazon.com/Transformative-Healthcare-Physician-Led-Prescription-AdventHealth/dp/1734298499

KLS Martin promo code EOSExo22 — https://www.klsmartin.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/ 

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-hirsch-126210bb/
Everyday Oral Surgery on LinkedIn — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/ 

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — grantstucki@gmail.com

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059