Goodbye to Balint

Intern Balint at Great Plains functions as a support group for the interns as they encounter the myriad stresses that accompany their first year of training. Co-led by Terrence Truong MD and Rebecca Bloomgarden LCSW, the group meets once a month throughout the intern year.

In addition, the residency program operates an upper-level Balint group. This group also meets on a monthly basis. The upper-level group operates as a traditional Balint group. That is, the second- and third-year residents present video tapes of challenging patient encounters to the group. Ms. Bloomgarden acts as group leader.

The goal of this group is to promote the development of interpersonal communication, medical knowledge, and ultimately, improvement in patient care as residents work on the integration of a biopsychosocial approach to their patients. Residents also benefit from developing a reflective stance regarding the doctor-patient relationship, and they report that they appreciate the opportunity to observe and learn from other physicians in their patient encounters.