Too often in medicine, no feedback is good feedback, so a little positive reinforcement can go a long way. This is the basis for a “burnout app” that third-year resident Jackie Corley and fourth-year resident Theresa Williamson are developing, and they believe there is a market for it. The app will serve up a steady stream of good news and high-fives to doctors and care providers, with the ultimate goal of fighting burnout with appreciation. They are currently in the idea phase of the project, looking for funding, applying for grants, and hoping to create a beta version.
Fighting burnout is a fitting project for someone who says she was born to take care of other people. Before choosing neurosurgery, Jackie thought she would go into primary care because of the opportunity to have long-term relationships with patients. Seeing patients this year and being in the OR has been both exciting and fulfilling, but her dreams for the future also include global health, journalism, and advocacy.
Atul Gawande, Sanjay Gupta, Paul Farmer – these are people Jackie names to help describe her dream job. And she points to her mentor, Mike Haglund, who founded Duke Global Neurosurgery and Neuroscience, as proof that it is possible to do neurosurgery, promote advocacy and awareness, and work abroad. Jackie believes Duke’s tradition of supporting trainees and faculty on their diverse paths has allowed her to dream and to explore her unique interests.
Jackie graduated from William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and got her MD from Rush University in Chicago. She loves to write and credits her husband, a writer and editor, with teaching her how. They live in downtown Durham.