Mindfulness in Medicine with Dr. Chadwick Flowers

Chadwick Flowers, MD, is an Assistant Professor of at the University of Miami as well as an Associate Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Jackson Memorial Hospital—University of Miami. Dr. Flowers completed his medical school from Indiana University and a Med-Peds Residency from the University of Miami where he stayed on to become a Chief Resident. He is a Med-Peds hospitalist providing inpatient care to adults and children at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital and Holtz Children’s Hospital. His academic interests include medical education, inpatient quality Improvement, and bedside procedure/diagnostics. In medicine, our top priority should always be the patient. But in order to provide the highest quality of care for patients, we cannot forget about our own well-being. Today, Dr. Chadwick Flowers explains the importance of self-care and the prevention of burnout in medicine. We’ll learn a few mindfulness techniques (and what box-breathing is), and he reassures us that if we need to take a break—we are entitled to that. Aside from self-care alone, he shares the best habits of successful residents: The ones who are willing to dive into residency with an open-mind, and who aren’t afraid to put themselves out there, even when rejection is inevitable. Pearls of Wisdom: 1. We cannot leave behind our own mental health. Develop and practice mindfulness techniques, breathwork throughout the day and in moments of stress, and know when to take a break. 2. We need mentorship for every aspect of our life. Find someone who is doing what we want to do, and reach out to them. Often, our mentors are what guide us toward our true passions. 3. Be willing to face rejection. Still, have the ability to put yourself out there. If we are persistent in our goals, and finding good mentors, we will eventually find the people who invest in us.