Community and Career Satisfaction

Physicians Aligning for Career Satisfaction and Sustainability (PACSS) is a new program designed to create community and promote career satisfaction for new faculty. 

Participating requires minimal work, except for talking, listening, eating, and building new relationships with your colleagues.

Two department faculty members at a PACSS dinner

What does it involve?

  • Once-a-month small group meetings over a meal at a local Food Fight restaurant (paid for by the department)
  • A group-guided discussion on topics related to reducing burnout and promoting fulfillment 
  • We provide the topics and discussion questions. Your group can discuss any or all of them while enjoying your meal.

Why should I do this?

  • Build your own community within the DOM
  • Learn from your peers about their approaches to the challenges of the job
  • Share your strategies with others
  • Decrease burnout and promote job satisfaction
  • Did we mention the free meal?

What is the time commitment?

  • One small group meeting per month for 6 months (6 meetings total from July–December)
  • Each meeting will be about 60-90 minutes long, over a meal
  • Flexible scheduling based on location and times of small group members.
  • Central administrative staff will make your group reservation and pay for the meal. You just show up! 
  • Very short pre- and post-surveys to help us make sure the program is meeting its goals.

What evidence supports this?

Our program is based on the Mayo Clinic model (COMPASS) where this approach was formally studied and demonstrated positive impacts on faculty wellbeing.