EVent recap: Beyond Burnout: Supporting Women Physicians and Leaders in Health Care (Mental Health Awareness Month) | 5.22.2026
Women in Medicine® brought together physicians and leaders from across the country last week for Beyond Burnout: Supporting Women Physicians and Leaders in Health Care — a timely webinar hosted in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month.
The conversation, led by WIMbassadors Dr. Jessie Mahoney and Dr. Renee Roberts and opened with wellness practices by Dr. Robin Tiger, tackled an urgent reality: burnout rates among women physicians range from 50 to 65 percent — and conventional wellness solutions aren't working. Rather than a surface-level conversation, this session went deeper — into the systemic roots of burnout, the hidden costs of unsustainability, and what it actually looks like to build a culture of well-being in medicine.
Five key takeaways from the discussion:
✨ Burnout can't be fixed within the same systems that created it. Wellness initiatives fail when they treat burnout as an individual diagnosis rather than a signal that the culture of medicine needs to change.
✨ The system rewards unsustainability — and that has to be named. Women physicians often absorb unpaid labor, emotional weight, and impossible expectations under the guise of dedication. Recognition of this reality is the first step toward changing it.
✨ Both individuals and institutions share responsibility. Strategic boundary-setting matters — and so does institutional accountability. Speaking up is essential; silence only perpetuates the problem.
✨ Modeling wellness is one of the most powerful things senior physicians can do. Creating safe spaces for vulnerability and demonstrating sustainable practices shapes the next generation of physicians more than any formal training.
✨ Small, intentional shifts add up. From strengths-based reflection to learning to decline commitments without guilt, practical tools exist — and they start with asking better questions about what truly brings meaning and energy to your work.
Thank you to Dr. Jessie Mahoney, Dr. Renee Roberts, and Dr. Robin Tiger for bringing such depth, honesty, and compassion to this conversation. Women in Medicine® is committed to creating spaces where women physicians can learn, be seen, and support one another — beyond the summit and throughout the year.
Learn more and access resources from these WIMBassadors:
Dr. Jesse Mahoney | Pause and Presence
Dr. René Roberts | Dr. René MD
Dr. Robyn Tiger | Stress Free MD
YouTube Video Recap | Coming Soon
