Join Us for Live CME in Women's Health!

This summer, I am working with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) again to offer evidence-based CME covering health issues unique to women. Women’s health encompasses so much, and family physicians are often the first point of contact for health-related moments throughout a woman’s life.

Join us via livestream June 9-12, 2021 and earn up to 20 live CME credits as you explore topics you need daily in practice!

AAFP livestream courses like this one are designed in half-day sessions you can access from anywhere. Attend the full course or choose from half-day sessions to suit your schedule. As a faculty presenter at the conference, I am thrilled to have tested the technology, which will enhance the experience for all of us!

Follow the link to register for the AAFP Women’s Health Livestream coming up June 9-12, 2021! For more information, visit aafp.org. I hope to ‘see’ you there!

Joyfully,

Dr. Mari

Healthy Living Tips for All!

A few years ago, I was proud to collaborate with the Florida Medical Association as they launched the statewide Healthy Living initiative to provide education and resources for physicians and patients. As always, it was a joy to work with their dedicated and supportive staff, and I felt honored to be asked to contribute to such a meaningful project. 

The short video we created provides simple tips to help physicians and other medical professionals incorporate conversations about lifestyle change more naturally. It also speaks of small paradigm shifts with big impact to help us all make healthier choices each day. You may watch the brief video below.

Other resources available from the Healthy Living initiative include motivational interviewing tips, a free healthy living toolkit, and a continuing medical education (CME) presentation titled, Inspiring Change: Lifestyle Choices Made Easier. 

 

Joyfully,

Dr. Mari

A Unique Physician Wellness Conference: Join Us in April!

One of my favorite conferences of the year is coming up ... I'm so excited! It's always inspiring, equipping, and a lot of fun. And this year, it comes at the perfect time.  

We all need some refreshing, don't we?

I've been blessed to serve as faculty, content developer, and presenter at the AAFP Physician Health & Wellbeing Conference every year since its inception. And this year, we have another superb conference planned on a fantastic virtual platform. I will provide a keynote session where I'll share stories from my 25 years in medicine and strategies to de-escalate difficult encounters. My second presentation will be packed with gems from my book, Recapturing Joy in Medicine, recently referred to as "a love letter to the medical profession." Yes, that made my year ... because it's true!

I'm particularly excited to be part of a special session we've planned where we hope to connect with our colleagues in a deeper way ... by being just a bit vulnerable. We're letting ourselves be stretched to connect with one another. It will be unique and very meaningful. I can't wait!

Join us via livestream this April 7-9, 2021 for a conference that changes lives. Reach out to me here with any questions. Follow the link or click on the image above to learn more about the conference and register. I hope to see you there!

Joyfully,

Dr. Mari

Finishing Well in the Storms of Life

Finishing well. Such an energizing, hopeful statement, isn't it?

The title of my next retreat is Finishing Well in the Storms of Life. 

The Quiet Day retreat is coming up on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 starting at 9:30 am ET! 

I will lead three short reflections followed by time for prayer, meditation, journaling, or whatever your soul needs to reflect and rest.

Join us at 9:30 am ET via livestream or in person (following all CDC protocols, including masks, social distancing, etc.). We will adjourn at 11:30 am.

REGISTER HERE!

As a bonus, I have a FREE GIFT for all attendees. Follow the link to download my book, Finishing Well in the Storms of Life, which will form the basis for my reflections at the retreat. The book will walk you through Paul's letters to the Philippians and Colossians as we explore the theme of perseverance and finishing well with faith and hope. I would love your feedback HERE and hope the book enriches your journey through Lent.

Joyfully,

Dr. Mari 

This retreat will be a nice follow-up to the Quiet Day retreat I led in March 2020 right as the pandemic began in our community. You can read more about that in Standing Together in Times of Uncertainty.

Strategies to Stay Well in 2021

Happy New Year! Do you love the start of a New Year as much as I do? I find it so helpful to set aside an intentional pause to consider the year we've left behind before planning for the one that's ahead. I hope you've engaged in that process and, if you haven't yet, perhaps this weekend is a good time!

As you ponder and let go of what needs to be left behind with 2020, consider what's going well in your life. What is helping you stay hopeful and motivated? Who has been a blessing in your life or at work? What has inspired you to persevere?

Lately, I've been inspired by the contractor who walked around our house and sent "his best guys" so we didn't have to do another home project on our own. It makes such a difference to have support and expertise from the right person when we need it, doesn't it? I've also been inspired by my loving husband and children, and I continue to be inspired by YOU -- my colleagues!

Thank YOU for your dedication to caring for people with excellence and for your perseverance during this stressful time. As always, I like to add JOY, MEANING, and HOPE to your life, so here are a few ways to keep moving forward in 2021:

• Choose carefully what you watch on social media, TV, and your smartphone, and what you lend your ears to ... rumors, gossip, and negativity erode the soul and breed more of the same.

• Discern and control what draws your attention and the voices you empower inside your head ... as well as external voices coming in.

• Get outdoors daily and rotate your favorite ways to exercise so you don't get bored and keep moving.
  

• Listen to uplifting music or podcasts daily.

• When you feel down or discouraged, have a plan that includes reaching out to people who care about you so you don't isolate.

• Rest ... reflect ... restore your soul with intention.

A new year brings HOPE! Stay connected with optimistic people who lift you up and help you be better as you invest in your wellbeing and growth in 2021!

Joyfully, with Hope,

Dr Mari (Amaryllis)

Want to hear some of my story and learn the "why" behind my advocacy work? Listen to my January 2021 podcast interview with the CEO for the Florida Medical Association HERE. 

 

Hope is Here!

In the year of the pandemic and every year,

in good times and trying times,

whether we're expectant or indifferent,   

grieving or elated,

engaged or apathetic,

regardless of our circumstances

or the state of our hearts,

our minds and our souls,

whether we see ourselves as saved 

or as sinners

or both.

Today and every day,

from this day forth, forevermore...

Hope has arrived.

Hope is here.

Hope is a Person.

His name is Jesus,

the Name above all names

at whose mention,

one day,

every knee will bow 

and every tongue confess

that he is our Lord.

A good Lord.

In him is our Hope.

He is the Hope of nations

and Lord of all.

Emmanuel is here.

Our Hope has arrived.

Hallelujah!

 

Wishing you a blessed Christmas with your loved ones near and far.

Hope is here. 

The very Light of the world.

The source of love, healing, and JOY.

Rejoice!

Dr Mari 

  © 2020 Amaryllis Sánchez Wohlever, MD

For more Christmas reflections, read A Christmas Gift for All and A Different Kind of King: An Epiphany.

An Update: Poems, Articles, & Interviews ... Sprinkled with Hope!

Goodness! So much has happened since I last posted here. This is my original blog, and it's so close to my heart. This is where I first tested my wings in the skies of blogging, and where I began to experience it's not only okay to be vulnerable, but it is also good, healing, redemptive, and necessary for our growth as human beings ... with boundaries, of course! 

I know many of you know I now also have a website and a blog for physicians there. Since my fourth book, Recapturing Joy in Medicine, published last year, I've continued to speak to medical and non-medical groups, and it's been such an enriching journey! It's been heartwarming to know that several state medical boards have read the book together, and it's also being used in medical schools and residency programs. So special! 

I've also been invited to a law school, college campuses, churches, retreat centers, and many local, state, and medical conferences and events to share a message of empowerment and hope that applies not only to medical professionals but to all of us pursuing a life of greater meaning and purpose! 

This is a timely message, indeed, during a lingering pandemic! Although it has been difficult for all of us, this challenging time has also brought opportunities for us to connect with what's most important, reassess our choices, and begin to craft something new as needed ... as we feel called. Times of suffering can spark inner growth and reignite a sense of purpose, faith, and hope, and it helps to be intentional. To this end, I continue to spread a message of hope that includes practical ways to stay inspired, engaged, and healthy!

So I've been serving in various ways throughout the pandemic, including presentations (now mostly virtually) at the state and national level (see more under the Events tab). It's been deeply meaningful and rewarding, as always ... and it's time for an update here! Below are links to some of my recent interviews, speaking engagements, articles, and more.

I'm leading a virtual book study for women physicians; let me know HERE if you's like to join us! And let me know HERE if you'd like to join a co-ed virtual group for physicians starting in the fall.

Surprised by a Song: Gifts from a Study with Women Physicians

A link to my latest peer-reviewed article ("Burnout" in the Workplace: Strategies, Omissions, and Lessons from Wounded Healers) is below, along with links to some of my recent interviews.

Humanizing our World: Articles, Interviews, and More

Below is a link to my recent interview with the international organization, Physicians Working Together. I'm honored to be an advisory board member for PWT. The interview includes some of my story from medical school with an encouraging message and reminders for med students and young physicians.

Real Lives of Physicians in Training ... and in the Pandemic

For me, the pandemic began in the Florida Capitol back in March! I was serving there as Doctor of the Day the week COVID-19 became a reality in the Sunshine State. I'm so grateful for every opportunity to contribute my voice and heart as a human being and physician at the highest levels of government and organized medicine. My purpose remains to ensure the underserved/minority groups and all people are able to receive the best care possible. It's more important than ever to speak courageously to educate our communities, our legislators, and our nation!

A Special Honor at the Capitol: Preparing for COVID-19

Below is my pandemic poem and encouragement for all of us, and one more recent interview below that!

Recapturing Joy During a Pandemic: A Few Thoughts and a Poem

Where our Power Lies: An Interview

As the pandemic lingers, turn up the volume on encouragement and hope, and turn everything else down ... or off! Stay encouraged. Stay connected. This, too, shall pass.

Joyfully,

Dr. Mari

But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in You.

Psalm 39:7