According to a 2022 Gallup World Poll, 60% of employees reported being emotionally detached from work, with 19% stating that they were miserable. Job dissatisfaction and unhappiness are truly multifactorial states brought about by several facets ranging from systemic-wide issues to extraneous phenomena that could occur in an employee's personal life. With the commencement of the pandemic, burnout and unhappiness in the workplace were evidently recognized within the medical sphere. In fact, in 2019, the National Academies of Medicine published "crisis" level burnout rates among healthcare professionals, specifically up to 54% of physicians and nurses. How can one tackle stress overload in the workplace? What do we do if we are no longer happy with our jobs? What are the signs of a toxic work environment? How can healthcare workers navigate their careers amidst the heightened rates of burnout and moral injury?

We are joined today by Dr. Hamza Gaj, a board-certified dentist from Austin, Texas, and the Host of the Hanging Out With Hamza Podcast. He received his BS in Biology, Psychology, and Business Foundations from The University of Texas at Austin in 2012 and DMD from Midwestern University in 2018. With his previous experiences with job unhappiness, being subject to racism, and a lesson-filled heartbreak, we delve into a conversation discovering the importance of preserving our mental health, developing modalities of self-care, finding purpose in our careers and in the workplace, accepting emotions that we feel during painful life seasons, and expressing vulnerability to our patients as healthcare providers.

Livestream Air Date: September 16, 2022

Hamza Gaj, DMD: IG @mogaj

Friends of Franz: IG @friendsoffranzpod& FB @friendsoffranzpod

Christian Franz (Host): IG @chrsfranz & YT Christian Franz

Thankful to the season's brand partners:Clove, BETR Remedies, Eko, Lumify, RescueMD, Medical School for Kids, Your Skincare Expert, Twrl Milk Tea