About this episode

This episode discusses the relationship between internalized shame and burnout among surgery residents with Drs. Sheina Theodore and Tejal Brahmbhatt.

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 third episode, we talk with Drs. Sheina Theodore and Tejal Brahmbhatt about their study examining the relationship between internalized shame states and burnout among surgery residents. They make a compelling case that addressing the well-being crisis in surgery requires looking beyond external stressors to the internal experience of shame: the quiet, invisible voice that tells residents they aren't good enough, and ask what role the culture of surgery plays in that internal monologue. Host: Steven Thornton Guests: 1. Sheina Theodore (Assistant Professor of Surgery, Boston University) 2. Tejal Brahmbhatt (Associate Professor of…

People in this episode

Host: Steven Thornton

Guests: Sheina Theodore, Tejal Brahmbhatt

Topics covered

• shame
• burnout
• surgeon well-being
• mental health
• surgery culture

Keywords

• internalized shame
• burnout
• surgery residents
• mental health
• surgeon culture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Boston University, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, J Surg Educ

Books & works: Internalized Shame Experiences and Burnout in General Surgery Residents

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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 2 - Grit, Shame, and Burnout · April 14, 2026 · 34 min
• Behind the Mask of Shame Part 1 - The Background · April 13, 2026 · 51 min

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