Interested in Peer Support?
The Peer Support Program aims to provide residents with confidential, non-judgmental support from trained peer physicians, whether they be an attending physician or senior residents. The RCAPS Office matches reach out requests with our trained supporters to allow residents the opportunity to discuss an emotionally distressing event at work, through a peer connection from a different program to support safety and confidentiality.
Receive Emotional Support For:
- Difficult/aggressive patient interaction
- Patient death
- Near miss
- Known risk to treatment or procedure
- Medical error/complication
*Other areas of support could include burnout, academic difficulty, remediation, negative feedback, CaRMS or the general stress of residency.
Who Are Peer Supporters?
Peer supporters are nominated by their colleagues and undergo specialized training with Dr. Jo Shapiro (Harvard Medical School) on her evidence-based Physician Peer Support program to ensure they can effectively listen, empathize and provide appropriate support during a callout. Dr. Shapiro’s model of Peer Support has been fostering a culture of support, solidarity and wellbeing within the resident community, enhancing overall resilience and mental health. Residents in distress can reach in to our program directly, or any lead resident, attending physician, or faculty can reach out to our program to request anonymous support.
Overcoming Barriers to Access
The current medical culture makes it extremely difficult to reach out for support. In a 2011 study, Dr. Shapiro found that 88% of physicians found that talking to another physician was the preferred source of potential support (over other supports such as an Employee Assistance Program or other mental health professionals). As fellow physicians are the most preferred source of support, research advocates for peer support as the most effective way to address this important issue. The RCAPS Office previously had a reach-out model where residents looking for peer support would reach out to be connected with a peer, however the model was heavily under-utilized. Since 2021, the RCAPS Office has been using Dr. Shapiro’s model, successfully matching 43 requests in 2023.
Testimonials
“I really value the Peer Support experience. I had a good conversation with the Supportee and connected with her over shared experience. I find that I myself as the Supporter also get a lot out of speaking to the residents, sharing experience, and reflecting together”
“I deeply appreciated the active listening that my peer supporter offered me; from the initial contact phone call to the first 50-minute phone call that we had, she listened closely to what I was telling her and underlined the strengths that I had. She helped me to retell my story to her in a way that showed growth and courage, and this helped me to alleviate my anxiety. The fact that being a healthcare professional is one part of her identity helped me to find a deeper level of validation, because we share a common, unspoken horizon, from which she helped me to direct a greater degree of empathy towards my own experiences.”
