Physicians are charged with taking care of their patients’ well-being — but they oſten neglect their own. Here’s one conference for doctors that takes an East-meets-West approach to addressing their wellness needs.
S
atkirin Khalsa, M.D., a board- certified family physician in New Mexico, is troubled by the fact
that as many as 400 of her physician colleagues around the country com- mit suicide each year (according to MedScape.net). She knows firsthand that their long hours and heavy patient loads can lead to high stress levels — a contributing factor to depression and suicide. Furthermore, as a group, physi- cians tend to be ignored by their own
medical profession, Khalsa said, and many doctors, especially those with anxiety and depression, opt out of medical treatments. “There is a stigma attached to physi-
cians’ [mental-]health programs,” she said, because many doctors fear the consequences of exposure and a nega- tive perception of their abilities. On the flip side, doctors who take better care of themselves can more easily care for their patients, and Khalsa wanted
to be part of that effort. Searching for conferences for doctors that specifically address their own well-being, she came up empty-handed.
STEPPING INTO THE VOID So Khalsa decided to create her own physician-wellness conference, with an approach to stress reduction that would be an extension of her own unique background. Khalsa was born in Berkeley, Calif., and raised in the Sikh religious tradition. Her parents, who are both yoga instructors, followed the advice of their spiritual leader, who sug- gested that all the children in the Sikh community attend a boarding school in northern India — which she did at the age of eight, studying yoga extensively during her seven years there. Khalsa received her yoga-teacher
certification long before attending medical school, and taught yoga to her fellow medical students. It seemed second nature to her to develop a con- ference to “educate peers about [yoga’s] physiologic health benefits, and provide them with applicable techniques and tools” they could put into practice for themselves, she said, as well as “use in clinical medicine.” The conference’s setting was central
Caretaker Satkirin Khalsa said that meeting Mother Teresa as a child in boarding school in northern India inspired her to become a doctor and care for others.
to its mission. Khalsa strategically chose a venue that would help attend- ees easily relax, recharge, or lose them- selves in a beautiful backdrop. “Copper Mountain, Colo., is an ideal setting for this specific symposium for many reasons,” Khalsa said. “The location, the village being self-sufficient, and the activities for participants and their families are fantastic.” Copper Mountain was not just the
JANUARY 2013 PCMA CONVENE 45
ILLUSTRATION BY BECI ORPIN / THE JACKY WINTER GROUP