Grittiness. The new buzzword in the field of education has schools beginning to see grit as key to student success — and just as important as teaching reading and math. Experts define grit as persistence, determination, and resilience; it is the “juice” that drives one kid to practice the clarinet or study French for hours on end, while another quits after the very first setback. So, what does grit have to do with medicine?
For physicians on the front line of patient care, learning to see past adversity and tackle hurdles takes resolve, spirit, and persistent flexibility. It is the same fortitude that got you through long nights in medical school with the promise of the prized white coat at the finish line.
For many of us, these characteristics do not always come naturally – they have to be practiced. That is why the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians has dedicated the next session of the Wellness Wednesdays series to the virtues of grittiness and resiliency.
Set for Wednesday, September 20, at 12:15 p.m., free registration is open for members and their care teams to participate in the program. This session is the eighth in an eleven-part webinar series that is dedicated to teaching healthy techniques and practices that will help family physicians become more focused on their own personal wellness.
“This quality of being able to sustain your passions, and also work really hard at them, over really disappointingly long periods of time, that’s grit,” says Angela Duckworth, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania who coined the term “grit” — and won a MacArthur “genius grant” for it.
Learn how to get gritty and build resolve that will make you a happier, healthier, and more effective family physician—register today!
Wellness Wednesdays is a structured, monthly webinar series that focuses on enhancing professional and personal wellness through the joy of medicine. The series is facilitated by a licensed professional clinical counselor from the OPHP, offered free to physician members, and takes place the third Wednesday of each month over the typical lunch hour (12:15 – 1 p.m.) Participants will start each session with a brief overview of the discussion topic and then led through a practical exercise that helps the participant learn through self-exploration and personal awareness. Participants will have the opportunity to share their own insight at the end of the 45-minute program and make connections with their peers who are also interested in wellness and professional satisfaction.
Archives of the previously recorded sessions and resources can be accessed on the OAFP website.
If you have questions about the Wellness Wednesdays program, contact Deputy Executive Vice President Kate Mahler, CAE, or call 800.742.7327.