Creating a Culture of Wellness (Keynote) →

Note: Thomas Fishler, MD,  is correct spelling of his name.

Kick-off keynote delivered on February 7, 2020 at AO North America, an international organization serving veterinarians, craniomaxillofacial, hand, spine, and trauma surgeons. Updated June 15, 2025.

Why Doctors Feel Broken—And How We Begin to Heal

Can we as physicians—perfectionist people-pleasers with high exposure to human suffering—ever truly be well?

Let’s be honest: despite all the wellness apps, lectures, and wellness committees, physician wellness still feels out of reach. In this keynote (with full transcript and slides), I explore why so many doctors feel like they’re supposed to be well—but secretly feel terrible. You’re not broken. The system is.

Creating a Culture of Wellness in Medicine

Physician burnout, depression, and even suicide have become public health crises—and doctors are often the last to ask for help. In Creating a Culture of Wellness, I share frontline stories, insights from doctors who’ve faced suicidal thoughts, medical students overwhelmed by stress, and physicians navigating their way back from the edge. Whether you’re struggling with imposter syndrome, looking for a physician support group, or exploring non-clinical careers for physicians, this keynote offers hope—and real, actionable solutions. For those considering quitting residency, launching a private practice, or attending a physician retreat, you’ll find inspiration here.  From coaching for doctors to rebuilding community through peer-led wellness initiatives, let’s reimagine what true physician mental health can look like.

🙋 Quick Q&A 

1. Why are doctors so burned out today? Long hours, litigation stress, and isolation have left many physicians battling depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. In fact, doctor burnout is now one of the leading drivers of physician suicide and early retirement.

2. What about medical students—how do they cope with the stress? Many students suffer in silence with medical student depression, anxiety, or even suicidal thoughts. My keynote includes guidance for those struggling and outlines how to survive medical school without losing your soul.

3. Where can doctors find confidential help? I share national resources like physician suicide helplines and anonymous physician support groups, along with personal strategies to reduce stigma and create a safe culture of healing within your practice. For more free resources, view: Physician Wellness: An Oxymoron?

Male surgeon head down. Need to talk? Confidential help. Click here.

Introduction: It gives me great honor and privilege to introduce our first keynote speaker for the day, Dr. Pamela Wible. Dr. Wible is a family physician born into a family of physicians. Her parents warned her not to pursue medicine, but she followed her heart only to discover to heal her patients, she had to first heal her profession. So she held town hall meetings and invited her community to design their own ideal clinic. Open since 2005, Dr. Wible’s community clinic has sparked a movement in which patients and physicians are designing ideal clinics nationwide. Read more ›

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Physician “burnout”—a coverup for human rights violations in medicine →

(Published 3/9/19, updated 6/13/25)

The Truth About Physician Burnout: More Than Just Stress

The term physician burnout is now everywhere—from medical journals to hospital memos—but what does it really mean? Burnout describes a state of chronic work-related stress that leads to emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a decline in job satisfaction. In the medical field, it’s become a default diagnosis for the widespread suffering of doctors, medical students, and other clinicians.

But here’s the problem: labeling this crisis as “burnout” minimizes the truth. Behind the buzzword lies a deeper story—one of physician depression, physician PTSD, and even doctor suicide, often stemming from relentless overwork, bullying, and institutional betrayal. More than half of U.S. doctors report symptoms of burnout, yet few receive the confidential mental health support they need due to fear of professional consequences.

This article uncovers what lies beneath the burnout narrative: a pattern of systemic abuse and human rights violations in medicine. It’s time to stop blaming doctors for their distress and start holding institutions accountable.

Since 2015, I’ve advised doctors to stop using the word “burnout.” Here’s why.

Each year our best and brightest, most compassionate students enter medicine—a career with the highest suicide rate of any profession. Each year more than 1 million Americans lose their doctors to suicide. Jumping from hospital rooftops. Found hanging in hospital chapels.

Classic response? Blame the victim, then cover up the suicide with medicine’s favorite victim-blaming buzzword—burnout—a slang word from the 1970s for end-stage drug addiction—now weirdly applied to doctors! Here’s how it works . . .

Physician “burnout” blames the victim NOT the medical system that actually kills doctors—and patients! Plus it’s a cash cow for physician predators and profiteers—all the burnout coaches cannibalizing the corpses of their colleagues—divided and conquered by bullying, hazing, and sleep deprivation—the foundation of medical training that forces new med school grads to legally work 28-hour shifts treating heart attacks, gunshot victims, and delivering stillborns—with no debriefing for their trauma. No bathroom breaks. No time to eat, surgeons collapse from dehydration and hypoglycemia. Here’s a doc found sleeping on an elderly comatose woman while starting her IV. (All true stories) An ICU doc forced to keep working during a seizure. Another doctor working while miscarrying her baby. Read more ›

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Physician Support Groups (Sundays) | Peer Support for Doctors →

Physician Mental Health ❤️ Physician Wellness ❤️Confidential Suicide Hotline

View Our 2025 Physician Retreats 🎉

Confidential support for doctors in crisis. Connection, healing & hope.

Are you a physician grappling with burnout, betrayal, grief, or even suicidal thoughts? Have you been caught in a board investigation, faced bullying, or found yourself feeling isolated in your struggles? You’re not alone. Our Physician Peer Support Groups offer safe, confidential space every Sunday to share your uncensored experiences with compassionate peers who truly understand what you’re going through. Whether you’re suffering from PHP entrapment, DEA audits, or the stress of building your own business, we provide support, strategies, and connection to help you live your dreams.

Our Physician Support Groups Every Sunday

🕚 Physician Peer Support (11 am PT)

Suffering from bullying, betrayal, exhaustion, medical mistakes, grief, guilt, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? Facing a Physician Health Program (PHP) or board investigation? We can help. (90 min) | $97/mo 👉 Register here

🕐 Physician Survivors Dream Team (1 pm PT)

An intimate group for doctors who’ve survived prison time, DEA raids, FBI investigations, PHP entrapment, and the trauma that comes with it. We discuss the hidden and taboo reasons physicians die by suicide—and how to prevent it. (60 min) | $97/mo 👉 Register here

🕔 Business Mastermind (5 pm PT)

Master advanced business strategies for your independent clinic, coaching, or consulting business (no medical license required). Must be a Fast Track grad or own an independent practice. (60 min) | $97/mo 👉 Register here

❤️ Confidential & open to all healers. ❤️

Confidential-Physician-Peer-Support-with-Dr.-Pamela-Wible

🌿 Physician Peer Support FAQ – Common Questions Answered

Are groups truly confidential?

Yes! Nothing you say is ever recorded. We adhere to a strict code of confidentiality. Our written chat is shared only with members present during the session.

Can I be anonymous?

Yes! Many physicians facing sensitive challenges such as board investigations, PHP enrollment, or medical errors prefer to remain anonymous. Dr. Wible can arrange for you to keep your video off and name hidden. However, most members choose to share openly and even exchange contact info to check in on each other during the week.

Read more ›

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2025 Physician Wellness Retreats | Physician “Burnout” Retreats →

Are you a physician craving purpose, peace, or a path out of burnout?

Discover Dr. Pamela Wible’s 2025 Physician Wellness Retreats—life-changing physician retreat experiences designed by doctors for doctors. Whether you’re launching your dream clinic, writing your first book, or exploring shamanic healing or magic mushrooms, these retreats are handcrafted to help you heal, grow, and thrive. From Oregon’s dramatic beaches to tranquil spa resorts, each retreat blends professional transformation with deep personal renewal. All health professionals welcomed. Sponsorships available for medical students and residents. Need help choosing the right doctor retreat? Contact Dr. Wible.

2025-Physician-Retreat-Schedule-Dates-Pamela-Wible-MD.jpg

Every retreat is uniquely curated to meet you where you are in your journey—emotionally, spiritually, and professionally. Whether you’re burned out, breaking free from assembly-line medicine, or ready to reinvent your career, you’ll find a retreat here for you. All experiences are confidential and guided personally by Dr. Pamela Wible, bestselling author and physician healer, in breathtaking locations designed to inspire deep clarity, creativity, and peace.

“Dr. Wible’s retreats are not conferences; they are soul-awakening experiences.”   Read more ›

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FREE Physician Retreat Book →

Click here to download

Live Your Dream Physician Retreats

If you’re a physician, chances are you’ve struggled to live your dream in medicine—most doctors are disillusioned. Chronic disillusionment doesn’t just sap your joy; it leads to chronic disease. In fact, your medical career can cause both physical and mental illness (especially for empaths). Straying from your soul’s purpose will inevitably lead to a lifetime of regret.

An unfulfilling career impacts your mood, relationships, and longevity, increasing your risk for heart disease, autoimmune conditions, cancer—even suicide.

Unhealed wounds from training follow you for life. You may have never revealed the depth of your despair with anyone (even yourself). You may wonder who you can trust without risking license repercussions or professional retaliation.

While antidepressants might provide temporary relief from professional misery, they don’t address the core dysfunction within a broken system.

Live Your Dream Physician Retreats (2025 Edition) captures countless conversations over my thirty-year career and nearly fifteen years leading physician retreats. Meet doctors who are living their dreams. May our words inspire you to live your dream too!

Pamela Wible, M.D.

❤️


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