Skip to main content
2026 ASCRS Annual Scientific Meeting Main banner
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Presentation Icons
CME
CME
Invitation/Ticketed Event
Invitation/Ticketed Event
Invited Lectureship
Invited Lectureship
Award Recipient
Award Recipient
Live Streamed Session
Live Streamed Session
Nurses Contact Hours
Nurses Contact Hours
Self-Assessment
Self-Assessment
Live Q&A and Polling
Live Q&A and Polling
Social
Social
Industry
Industry
Symposium

Professionalism
Symposium

Fighting Burnout: Strategies for Surgeons to Thrive

Tuesday, May 12, 2026
12:05 PM - 12:50 PM ET

CME Live Streamed Session Live Q&A and Polling

    Co-Moderator(s)

  • Sharon Stein, MD FACS FASCRS (she/her/hers)

    Adjunct Professor
    Case Western Reserve School of Medicine
    Case Western Reserve University
    Cleveland, OH, United States

    All of the relevant financial relationships listed below have been mitigated.
    This individual has no financial relationships with ineligible companies.

  • Najjia Mahmoud, MD

    Chief, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery
    University of Pennsylvania Health System
    University of Pennsylvania
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

    All of the relevant financial relationships listed below have been mitigated.
    This individual has no financial relationships with ineligible companies.

CME: .75 hours

This symposium addresses the drivers of burnout in colorectal surgery and offers individual and institutional prevention strategies. Experts will explore high-risk career stages, tools to enhance meaning and resilience, and the role of leadership in shaping culture. Attendees will gain actionable insights to support personal well-being and advocate for systemic change. Designed for surgeons at all stages, this symposium fosters open dialogue and lasting impact.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:
  • Recognize the unique contributors to burnout in colorectal surgery across career stages.
  • Describe evidence-based strategies for individual and institutional burnout prevention.
  • Apply practical tools to enhance meaning in work, manage stress, and support peers.
  • Advocate for systemic changes within their institutions that promote well-being and sustainability in surgical careers.

Presentations:

  • 12:05 PM - 12:10 PM ET
    Introduction
  • 12:10 PM - 12:15 PM ET
    Why Burnout Matters in Colorectal Surgery

    Faculty: Najjia N. Mahmoud, MD – University of Pennsylvania Health System

  • 12:15 PM - 12:25 PM ET
    Recognizing the Flames: Burnout in the Colorectal Surgeon’s Career TrajectoryDiscussion of high-risk periods, including training, mid-career, and late career

    Faculty: Bethany Malone

  • 12:25 PM - 12:35 PM ET
    Tools for the Individual Surgeon: Managing Energy, Identity & Boundaries Strategies including cognitive reframing, boundary setting, and peer support

    Faculty: Robert C. Amajoyi, MD, FACS, FICS, FASCRS – Grady Memorial Hospital/Morehouse School of Medicine

  • 12:35 PM - 12:45 PM ET
    The Systemic Rx: What Institutions and Leaders Must Do to Prevent Burnout Focus on leadership, cultural transformation, and DEI impacts on well-being

    Faculty: Heather Yeo, MD, MBA, MS (she/her/hers) – Weill Cornell medicine

  • 12:45 PM - 12:50 PM ET
    Question and Answer