DOCTORS SAVE LIVES IN HIGH PAYING JOBS, AND IT MIGHT BE EASY TO ASSUME THEY’VE GOT IT ALL, BUT THAT IS OFTEN NOT THE CASE. AS WESH 2’S CHRISTINA WATKINS TELLS US, MANY DOCTORS ARE SUFFERING IN SILENCE. THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE FILLED UP THIS ROOM AT LEU GARDENS IN ORANGE COUNTY. YOUNG MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS JOINED THE PHYSICIANS SOCIETY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA TO RECOGNIZE EXCELLENCE. THOUGH THEY STILL HAVE SOME TIME AND TRAINING BEFORE STEPPING INTO THEIR CAREERS. THEY’RE DEFINITELY IN THE RIGHT PLACE TO GET REAL FEEDBACK ON EXPECTATIONS FROM DOCTORS SUCH AS RYAN HALL. HE’S A BOARD CERTIFIED PSYCHIATRIST IN LAKE MARY. I ALWAYS JOKE, I GOT FINISHED MY TRAINING IN 2008, SO I CAME BACK HOME TO CENTRAL FLORIDA. I LOVE THAT. SO YOU’RE A NATIVE CENTRAL FLORIDIAN IN TITUSVILLE? NICE. DOCTOR HALL SAYS A KEY PART OF HIS TRAINING FOCUSED ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, SOMETHING HE ALMOST BRUSHED OFF. I SAID, GUYS, AFTER FIVE MINUTES, I GET IT. REST, EXERCISE. YOU KNOW, TAKE TIME OFF. YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO FIVE FIVE EXTRA HOURS FOR THIS. THEY’RE LIKE, NO, NO, WE’RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT YOU. AT 27 WHEN YOU’RE HIGH ENERGY, WHEN YOU’VE GOT YOUR FRIENDS AROUND YOU, WHEN YOU’RE IN THE CAMARADERIE OF TRAINING, THESE TALKS, THESE LECTURES ARE MORE FOR WHEN YOU’RE 45, WHEN YOU’RE 50, WHEN YOU’RE GETTING CLOSERET LITTLE FURTHER OUT, YOU’RE A LITTLE DISCONNECTED. NOW, YEARS INTO HIS CAREER, DOCTOR HALL UNDERSTANDS HOW CHALLENGING IT CAN BE TO JUGGLE ALL OF THEIR DEMANDS, LEAVING VERY LITTLE ROOM FOR THEM TO FIND PEACE. HE SAYS IT’S CRUCIAL TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY’RE FEELING UNDERNEATH THE WHITE COAT. THOUGH SOME MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS REFUSE TO DO SO. YOU DON’T WANT TO BE TAKEN OUT OF YOUR LIFE’S WORK BECAUSE YOU HAD A BAD DAY OR A STRING OF BAD DAYS. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF GETTING A DIAGNOSIS. THEY’RE AFRAID OF BEING ASKED A QUESTION THAT THEY’RE UNDER OATH FOR. AND WHAT IF I PUT THE WRONG THING DOWN? WHAT IF THERE’S A MALPRACTICE LATER? WHETHER SOMETHING ELSE COMES UP? DOCTOR HALL SAYS WHILE THEY WORK THROUGH THE STIGMA, THERE’S HOPE AND HELP. THANKS TO THE LIFEBRIDGE WELLNESS PROGRAM OFFERED BY THE PHYSICIAN SOCIETY. WE OFFER PRIVATE, CONFIDENTIAL EVALUATIONS WITH VETTED PSYCHOLOGIST. A LOT OF PHYSICIANS DON’T SEEK HELP. ONLY 15% OF THOSE WHO NEED REALLY GO OUT AND SEEK HELP. LIFEBRIDGE IS A VOLUNTARY RESOURCE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE FLORIDA BOARD OF MEDICINE. MEMBERS GET FOUR FREE SESSIONS THROUGH A PRIVATE 24 OVER SEVEN WELLNESS LINE. THEY NEVER GIVE OUT INFORMATION TO THIRD PARTIES. IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, THE BURNOUT RATES ARE PRETTY HIGH ABOUT 50% IN PHYSICIANS. THAT’S A LOT. ABOUT 3 TO 400 PHYSICIANS COMMIT SUICIDE EVERY YEAR IN AMERICA, ABOUT ONE PER DAY. CONSIDERING THOSE STATISTICS AND THE RISE IN BURNOUT, THESE DOCTORS ENCOURAGE THEIR PEERS TO TALK ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS, USE TO LISTEN. KEEP GOING. IT GETS BETTER. COVERING ORANGE COUNTY IN ORLANDO. CHRISTINA WATKINS WESH TWO NEWS. ALL THIS WEEK DURING WESH TWO NEWS AT FOUR, WE’RE HIG
Central Florida medical professionals focus on mental health, burnout support
Updated: 5:03 PM EDT May 14, 2026
Young medical professionals gathered at Leu Gardens in Orange County for an event hosted by the Physicians Society of Central Florida to recognize excellence and provide real-world feedback from experienced doctors. Dr. Ryan Hall, a board-certified psychiatrist from Lake Mary, shared his journey and insights into the importance of health and well-being during medical training. “I always joke, I finished my training in 2008. So, I came back home to Central Florida,” Hall said. Hall explained how he initially underestimated the significance of self-care during his training. “I said, guys, after five minutes, I get it. Rest, exercise, you know, take time off. You don’t have to do five extra hours for me on this. They’re like, no, no, we’re not worried about you at 27 when you’re high energy, when you’ve got your friends around you, when you’re in the camaraderie of training. These talks, these lectures are more for when you’re 45, when you’re 50, when you’re getting close to retirement, when you are a little further out, you’re a little disconnected,” Hall said. Years into his career, Hall acknowledged the challenges of balancing professional demands with personal peace and emphasized the importance of addressing feelings beneath the white coat, even though some medical professionals hesitate to do so. “You don’t want to be taken out of your life’s work because you had a bad day or a string of bad days. So, a lot of people are afraid of getting a diagnosis. They’re afraid of being asked a question that they’re under oath for. And what if I put the wrong thing down? What if there’s a malpractice, or whether something else comes up?” Hall said. To help address these concerns, the Physicians Society of Central Florida offers the Lifebridge Wellness Program, a voluntary resource in collaboration with the Florida Board of Medicine. “We offer private, confidential evaluations with vetted psychologists. A lot of physicians don’t seek help. Only 15% of those who need it really go out and seek help,” said Dr. Rasheshkumar B. Dholakia, a psychiatrist. Lifebridge provides PSCF members with four free sessions through a private 24/7 wellness line, ensuring confidentiality and never sharing information with third parties. “If you look at the data, the burnout rates are pretty high, about 50% in physicians. That’s a lot,” Dholakia said. Dr. Rasheshkumar B. Dholakia, also a board-certified psychiatrist, highlighted the troubling statistics on physician suicide. “About three to four hundred physicians commit suicide every year in America. About one per day,” Dholakia said. With burnout on the rise, doctors are encouraging their peers to take time away from work, use available resources, and trust that someone is always ready to listen without judgment. “Keep going. It gets better,” Hall said.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —
Young medical professionals gathered at Leu Gardens in Orange County for an event hosted by the Physicians Society of Central Florida to recognize excellence and provide real-world feedback from experienced doctors.
Dr. Ryan Hall, a board-certified psychiatrist from Lake Mary, shared his journey and insights into the importance of health and well-being during medical training.
“I always joke, I finished my training in 2008. So, I came back home to Central Florida,” Hall said.
Hall explained how he initially underestimated the significance of self-care during his training.
“I said, guys, after five minutes, I get it. Rest, exercise, you know, take time off. You don’t have to do five extra hours for me on this. They’re like, no, no, we’re not worried about you at 27 when you’re high energy, when you’ve got your friends around you, when you’re in the camaraderie of training. These talks, these lectures are more for when you’re 45, when you’re 50, when you’re getting close to retirement, when you are a little further out, you’re a little disconnected,” Hall said.
Years into his career, Hall acknowledged the challenges of balancing professional demands with personal peace and emphasized the importance of addressing feelings beneath the white coat, even though some medical professionals hesitate to do so.
“You don’t want to be taken out of your life’s work because you had a bad day or a string of bad days. So, a lot of people are afraid of getting a diagnosis. They’re afraid of being asked a question that they’re under oath for. And what if I put the wrong thing down? What if there’s a malpractice, or whether something else comes up?” Hall said.
To help address these concerns, the Physicians Society of Central Florida offers the Lifebridge Wellness Program, a voluntary resource in collaboration with the Florida Board of Medicine.
“We offer private, confidential evaluations with vetted psychologists. A lot of physicians don’t seek help. Only 15% of those who need it really go out and seek help,” said Dr. Rasheshkumar B. Dholakia, a psychiatrist.
Lifebridge provides PSCF members with four free sessions through a private 24/7 wellness line, ensuring confidentiality and never sharing information with third parties.
“If you look at the data, the burnout rates are pretty high, about 50% in physicians. That’s a lot,” Dholakia said.
Dr. Rasheshkumar B. Dholakia, also a board-certified psychiatrist, highlighted the troubling statistics on physician suicide.
“About three to four hundred physicians commit suicide every year in America. About one per day,” Dholakia said.
With burnout on the rise, doctors are encouraging their peers to take time away from work, use available resources, and trust that someone is always ready to listen without judgment.
“Keep going. It gets better,” Hall said.