Peer Support Program

Every physician will undoubtedly go through stressful times at some point in their career. Surveys have shown that the vast majority of physicians would prefer to talk to another peer physician during these difficult times rather than a mental health professional or an employee assistance program. A Peer Support Program offers the opportunity to receive support and a friendly ear from a peer who has probably been in a similar difficult situation that you find yourself in. It is non-judgemental, empathic listening from someone who has been in your shoes. 

Peer supporters offer ‘emotional first aid’. We aim to minimize the isolation and feelings of shame that often plague physicians. It is not a therapeutic doctor-patient relationship and the majority are one-time interactions to simply ‘check in’ and offer support.

The peer supporter can help direct you toward finding more regular support options.  
 

Simply email us at seamo.physicianwellness@queensu.ca and ask to be connected with a peer supporter. You do not have to give any reason.

No. We are going to routinely reach out to everyone who is undergoing a ‘stressful’ experience in their career such as patient complaints, medicolegal actions or adverse outcomes. This does not mean you made a mistake. We just know that these events are universally experienced as stressful by physicians and we would like to emphasize that you are not alone, we have all gone through it and it is distressing. The peer supporter will not know anything about your situation if they reach out to you, so the information you choose to share will be up to you and remain confidential.

This program is entirely voluntary, and you can turn down any reach out provided.

If our program is contacted by a concerned colleague or Physician Affairs, we will arrange for a peer supporter to reach out. We will do our best to match an appropriate peer supporter with regards to stage of career, type of practice (for instance, procedural-based vs non-procedural) and general fit. It will most likely NOT be someone in your Department as many physicians would prefer some distance from colleagues with whom they interact on a daily basis. 

A peer supporter will contact you either by text, phone or email and offer their support. If you would like to take them up on their offer, a mutually convenient time will be arranged. 

Our peer supporters, in addition to their experience, interest and genuine caring, have all undergone workshop training with Dr. Jo Shapiro, an expert in the area from Harvard University. They will be undergoing ongoing training and sessions throughout their time as a peer supporter.
 

This program is open to ALL attending physicians. Resident physicians can reach out to the PGME office, Postgradwellness@queensu.ca if they need help.

Yes. This program is built on the principle of confidentiality and support in a psychologically safe space.

The CMPA is supportive of these programs. It is extremely unlikely that the peer supporter would be asked about the nature of the conversation. No notes are kept and it is unlikely that the peer supporter would recall the interaction in adequate detail to provide any useful information. In the most litigious of the United States, peer supporter programs thrive and are almost never involved in the litigation process. Our Peer Support Program has complied with all the CMPA recommendations pertaining to such programs.

You should disclose that you have talked to a peer supporter through the Peer Support Program and that no notes were kept. 

No. Notes on the discussion will not be kept, nor will names. The program will only retain statistics on number of support encounters per month, general nature of the stress (personal, work or other) and whether it was a reach-in or we reached out.
 

No, the program is completely confidential. There is absolutely no feedback to those in leadership positions (such as your Department or Division Head) or to those who evaluate your performance.

Yes. Simply email us at seamo.physicanwellness@queensu.ca.  We will confidentially reach out to your colleague and offer our support. We would like to foster this supportive environment and normalize the concept of asking for and receiving help during the periodic struggles all of us invariably face.