Physician Health and Wellness

The health and wellness of pediatric health care providers is a strategic priority of the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is integral to the health of the profession and quality of care for children. The AAP supports a cultural shift in how we value providers’ well-being as not only a metric of the care we are able to provide children and their families but more importantly as a mechanism for pediatricians to thrive in medicine.

The AAP is involved and supports many national initiatives regarding clinician wellness including the National Academy of Sciences Clinician Wellbeing, the ACGME Improving Physician Wellbeing and the Women’s Wellness through Equity and Leadership project. Follow the links on the right for more information.

The pathway to wellness is multifaceted. This site aims to equip pediatric health professionals with skills, tools, and resources needed to nurture individual resilience, advocate for organizational supports in their practice, and develop the next generation of pediatric medical professionals. Explore these resources to find how best to build your own wellness and joy in medicine.

Individual Resilience

Work-life integration can be difficult when balancing a medical career, family responsibilities, and personal interests. But taking care of yourself is important. Discover ways to improve your work-life integration and build your own wellness plan.

Practice Environment 

Pediatricians report administrative burdens such as electronic health records, schedules, and lack of autonomy as their leading causes of burnout. Find resources and strategies for creating change in your practice environment that support wellbeing and your ability to thrive in medicine.

Learning Environment 

Medical trainees experience twice the rate of depression and burnout compared to their peers pursing other degrees. Explore ways to cultivate the joy of medicine in medical students and residents.

​Burnout

Burnout is pervasive throughout the medical community. Almost half of medical students, residents, and practicing physicians report symptoms of burnout. More specifically, 41% of pediatricians report feeling burned out. Review these resources to help identify signs of burnout.