Why Residency Leadership is Burning Out (And Why It Still Matters)

In this conversation, Dr. Bryan Mahoney speaks with Dr. Stacy Fairbanks about her journey through anesthesiology training, medical education leadership, and her recent transition out of the residency program director role. Dr. Fairbanks reflects on what made the work meaningful, the challenges of balancing multiple stakeholders, the evolving pressures of training in a post-COVID clinical environment, and how residency culture shapes both learning and wellbeing. She speaks candidly about burnout in the PD role, the emotional weight of mentoring residents through triumphs and struggle, and what she wishes new program directors would know before they begin. This episode offers a grounded, honest look at the realities of training the next generation of anesthesiologists and what it takes to sustain the people who lead that work.This Episode was Originally Published December 7, 2023 on YouTube