More than one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to face not only rising COVID-19 cases, but the ongoing escalation of the “shadow pandemic” – an associated rise in presentations related to substance use disorders, domestic violence, and mental health. In these times, it is more important than ever for medical training to include a focus on mental health, the importance of which extends beyond patient care. Trainees need to develop the capacity not only to support their patients in mental health crises, but to support their own mental health and wellness through these times of increased workload and stress on all health professionals.

There are many excellent tools and coping strategies available to medical trainees, but the one that has had the biggest impact on my medical training is mindfulness. As a fellow in the Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine, I have had the privilege to take part in two mindfulness training courses, and each one has had an incredible impact on both my medical practice and my day-to-day life.

During my first year of fellowship, I was a participant-observer in the Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents course (MARS-A; a joint clinical program between the Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry). Participating in MARS-A was an excellent introduction to the practice of mindfulness, allowing me to learn a variety of skills and practices that I use in my own life, as well as with my patients. One of the unexpected benefits of participating in MARS-A has been improving my ability to motivate my patients to practice mindfulness. Dr. Dzung Vo, one of my mentors in Adolescent Medicine and one of the facilitators of MARS-A, often says “Teens have a powerful BS-meter”, meaning that they can tell if you don’t practice what you preach. Since participating in MARS-A, I am able to tell my patients stories of how I’ve seen other youth use mindfulness in their lives, or how I use it myself. For example, I try to incorporate a brief mindful meditation before bed, especially when I am on call and worried about getting called during the night – mindfulness helps me to relax and let go of these anxious thoughts. When I tell this story to teens, it helps them reflect on how mindfulness could help with their own stress or insomnia. Youth are much more open to trying a new practice when they can tell that my recommendation is coming from an authentic enthusiasm to share the joy and the benefits of mindfulness.

I have also had the pleasure of being among the first cohort of trainees to participate in the Mindful Healing for Health Professional Trainees course, offered through the BC Children’s Hospital Centre for Mindfulness. This course has helped me to build upon my existing mindfulness practice, and to learn to apply mindfulness in various areas of my work as a physician – from managing conflict between colleagues, to coping with loss and grief, to building resilience and handling burnout. Practicing mindfulness in the workplace has enabled me to re-examine difficult situations in new ways, and to reflect on perspectives that I might not have otherwise considered.

Mindfulness has made me a more effective communicator, a more compassionate colleague, and a more caring physician. As I transition from fellow to staff physician, I look forward to continuing my journey in mindfulness, and continuing to foster an environment that promotes loving kindness, compassion, and resilience for patients and clinicians alike.