About this episode

This episode explores the relationship between shame, grit, and burnout in surgical training through interviews with experts.

A career in surgery has a profound impact on those who practice the craft. High rates of poor mental health are well described but incompletely understood. One potential mechanism for advancing our understanding of surgeon well-being is studying surgeons' emotional experiences. Shame, a self-conscious emotion reflecting how an individual feels about themselves, could be a particularly powerful lens. In this series on shame in surgery, we explore what we know about shame in surgery and what shame can tell us about learning and working as surgeons. In this second episode, we talk with Dr. ElAbd and Dr. Zammit about their study examining the relationship between shame-based learning, grit, and burnout across surgical specialties. Their findings highlight how grit may both protect against burnout and mediate whether residents go on to shame others. Host: Steven Thornton Guests: 1. Rawan ElAbd (Plastic Surgery Resident, McGill University) 2. Dino Zammit (Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery, McGill University) Publications Discussed: 1. ElAbd R, Pu L, Esmonde-White C, ElHawary H, Vorstenbosch J, Zammit D. Association of Grit and Shame Based Learning on Burnout in Surgical Training…

People in this episode

Host: Steven Thornton

Guests: Rawan ElAbd, Dino Zammit

Topics covered

• surgeon well-being
• shame in surgery
• grit
• burnout
• emotional experiences
• surgical training

Keywords

• surgery
• mental health
• shame
• grit
• burnout
• surgical specialties
• emotional experiences

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: McGill University, J Surg Educ

Books & works: Association of Grit and Shame Based Learning on Burnout in Surgical Training: A Single Institution Analysis

More episodes of Behind The Knife: The Surgery Podcast

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• Vascular Surgery Oral Board Review: Free Sample Scenarios (AEF & Acute Mesenteric Ischemia) · April 23, 2026 · 34 min
• Sustainable Surgical Practice: Defining Workplace Standards for the Modern Era · April 20, 2026 · 52 min
• Rigged or Right? The Residency Match Under Fire · April 16, 2026 · 50 min
• Behind the Mask of Shame Part 3 - Internalized Shame and Burnout · April 15, 2026 · 33 min
• Behind the Mask of Shame Part 1 - The Background · April 13, 2026 · 51 min

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