Commensality groups

Meeting with coworkers

The Department of Medicine is focused on building community and a culture of well-being for faculty and staff. Our commensality groups seek to strengthen community, collegiality, and social connection amongst faculty.

Meeting with coworkers
Join a Group
This is unpublished

Background

In a 2022 survey, Department of Medicine faculty, including advanced practice providers, noted lack of professional fulfillment and unacceptable levels of burnout.

For example, over 50% of faculty reported high burnout relative to national benchmarks, while only 29% reported high levels of professional fulfillment.

In qualitative comments, faculty felt that relationships with their colleagues were the most satisfying parts of their jobs and that social isolation was impacting their well-being.

As part of our focus on well-being, we are facilitating commensality groups to strengthen community, collegiality, and social connection amongst faculty. This initiative is sponsored in part by a well-being grant from the School of Medicine.    

commensality groups

Join a group

If you are interested in participating, please complete this form.

Commensality groups are an evidence-based approach to increase collegiality and professional fulfillment while reducing burnout amongst participants. 

Groups consist of 6 to 8 participants meeting monthly to discuss questions relevant to their professional obligations, personal lives, and work-life integration.

The Stanford WellMD and WellPhD website has key information about these groups and what is involved in participating or leading a group.

If you have questions about these groups, please contact Andrea Zaragoza.

Sign up to participate

Resources

  1. West CP, Dyrbye LN, Rabatin JT, Call TG, Davidson JH, Multari A, et al. Intervention to promote physician well-being, job satisfaction, and professionalism: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2014 Apr;174(4):527-533. 
  2. Luthar SS, Curlee A, Tye SJ, Engeleman JC, Stonnington CM. Fostering resilience among mothers under stress: “authentic connections group” for medical professionals. Women's Health Issues. 2017 May-Jun:27(3):382-90. 
  3. West CP, Dyrbye LN, Satele DV, Shanafelt TD. Colleagues meeting to promote and sustain satisfaction (COMPASS) Groups for physician well-being: a randomized clinical trial. Mayo Clin Proc 2021; 96:2606-2614.