In The Nocturnists, in collaboration with the Shame and Medicine project, shame podcast series, we were surprised—and even concerned—when only ~20% of submitted stories came from men in medicine. Dr Will Bynum, who has studied and presented widely on shame in medicine, has experienced a similarly low level of participation from men in research studies, workshops, and lectures. This got us thinking: what is going on with shame in men in medicine?
That thinking—plus Will’s own experiences of shame in medicine—led us to a few theories:
Regardless of why men in medicine may not be engaging shame, it is likely that this lack of engagement is having detrimental effects, on men themselves or on the people who work alongside them. Indeed, medicine has traditionally been a male-dominated (and White, cis-gendered) profession whereby men hold positions of power and authority. What influence might their unaddressed experiences have on the nature of the environments where that power is held? On the people working within the hierarchies of that power? On the men who hold that power?
With this webinar, we hope to establish a safe space and begin a conversation, initially limited to individuals who identify as men, about their experiences of shame in medicine, how they do or don’t engage with them, what facilitates or inhibits this engagement, and how they need to be uniquely supported in this engagement. This webinar, which will feature a panel of speakers plus a facilitated Q&A and discussion, will serve as a starting point for ongoing collaborative work about this important topic. Future offerings will be open to all members of the medical community.
Sign up via the QR code below or register here:
