Update re: Physician Well Being Committee/Fitness for Duty Process(FFD)! Some powers that be thought they were sending me to get support; institution now seems to acknowledge that that was NOT the case and is trying to improve that for others...A THREAD/1 https://twitter.com/jbullockruns/status/1252099061915676675

There have been lawyers involved (from the institution but not me). FFD is inherently a very legal process: one can lose their ability to practice medicine. An excessively intrusive evaluation ended where it began: I have active bipolar disorder. I am not a risk when I work. /2

Despite this, I must have regular check ins with a faculty 'mentor', a case manager (whom I call my parole officer), I continue to meet with my own psychiatrist & therapist (as I was before all this). My institution was fixated on me doing a very specific type of therapy: DBT. /3

I asked what would happen if I did not sign the contract of agreement. I was told by a co-chair of the committee I could not work. The institution has confirmed that statement was NOT true. Once I am determined to be safe & patients are safe, I could've worked sans contract. /4

I won't belabor the myriad of ways that the Fitness for Duty Process has undermined my current and future mental health, but what I would like to focus on are the changes that are currently underway. /5

I am grateful to exist in an institution where I have now had multiple high ranking individuals who have explicitly apologized to me. "I want to deeply apologize for everything that has happened. Pretty much everything that could go wrong did. This should have never happened."/6

From my reports on the ground and from institutional leadership, the committee has already begun to diversify its membership. There is a task force currently reviewing the committee, and I have been asked to speak to share my story with the task force. /7

The Fitness for Duty Process/Wellbeing Committee was recently discussed at the UCSF Departmental Chairs meeting (one of the chairs told me that the advocacy efforts led by @ahargrave3 @AnjaliJacob_ and myself seem to have "really really made a difference") /8

Someone who deeply understands the nuances of the committee & has tangible power to change it was both apologetic and actionable oriented. We discussed how our institution exists w/in a challenging state legal structure w/ respect to providers w/ mental health & substance use. /9

I know that my pride of my bipolar disorder made me boldly unapologetic and demand basic human decency. My pride was my friend. I have a medical condition. I am a doctor. And until we create safe environments for folks with mental illness, we will have ppl dying unnecessarily./10

I end this thread for the first time in a long time, immensely and genuinely proud of my institution. I am still wounded, but I am healing and we are moving forward together. @UCSFMedicine
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