Episode 19 - Beyond the Shift: Uncovering the Hidden Workload of Academic Emergency Physicians featuring Dr. Emily Hirsh

Summary: In this episode of The Learning Curve, Dr. Irtaza Asar is joined by Dr. Emily Hirsh to unpack the often-unrecognized hidden workload in academic emergency medicine — the meetings, teaching, research, and responsibilities that continue long after a clinical shift ends. Together, they examine how this invisible labor impacts physician well-being, recovery, and the long-term sustainability of academic careers. Dr. Hirsh shares findings from her study quantifying extra-clinical duties and highlights the need for institutional acknowledgment, support, and structural reform to protect educators and their longevity in the field.   Takeaways: Emergency physicians spend a lot of extra time on extra clinical duties that is frequently not accounted for. Acknowledgment must precede change — institutions need to name and measure this hidden work. System-level solutions are essential to make academic EM sustainable. Meetings and administrative obligations frequently fall during times that conflict with shift-based schedules. Quantifying invisible work allows for better resource allocation and workload equity. Educators should actively advocate for structural change at their institutions. Long-term sustainability and retention in academic emergency medicine requires prioritizing workload balance and recovery. Dr. Hirsh's paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acem.70168