Helping Clinicians Helps the Patient is a practical and detailed guide based on MedRAP, a comprehensive program implemented at Baylor College of Medicine for 25 years which was designed to advance the professional growth of medical residents and improve their well-being by addressing factors that lead to stress and burnout. The guide has been adapted to facilitate the transition for a wide range of medical clinicians undergoing similar challenges. It provides the framework for implementation of all components of the program, including structuring the curriculum for individual session topics; emphasizes tips to create a positive learning environment; and pre-identifies challenges trainees are likely to encounter and ways to manage them effectively. MedRAP focuses on cost-effective ways to help clinicians-in-training transition into the clinical work environment, cope with the challenges of modern medical practice, provide high quality of care, contribute to patient satisfaction, and function effectively and efficiently. The program also focuses on addressing ACGME competencies such as communication and interpersonal skills, leadership skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice skills. The Quality Improvement component of the program involves the entire healthcare team in improving the efficiency of the hospital work environment and patient care. Because of MedRAP’s efficient design, maximum benefits for medical training programs can be achieved with a judicious commitment of time and resources.

Iris Mushin
Iris Mushin, MEd, MBA, is the founder of MedRAP and the author of “What Hurts the Physician Hurts the Patient.” She managed MedRAP at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) for 25 years, where the program brought numerous positive organizational changes to the training and affiliated hospitals’ work environment. She created and developed MedRAP as an MBA candidate while her husband was completing his surgical training at BCM. Her goal, in designing the program, was to improve the well-being of medical residents and address their stress and burnout by improving their training environment, advancing their professional growth and enhancing their effectiveness as physicians.