Anthony Santilli MD: How I Transformed Physician Burnout into Increased Energy, Creativity and Love of Medicine

Anthony Santilli, MD will discuss how he reversed his diagnosed condition of burnout through the daily practice of AMI MEDITATION and its allied disciplines at The American Meditation Institute’s (AMI) 32-credit hour mind/body medicine CME conference for physicians and other health care professionals, October 23-27, 2018 at the Cranwell Resort and Spa in Lenox, Massachusetts. Entitled “The Heart and Science of Yoga,” this 10^th annual comprehensive training, accredited through the American Medical Association and Albany Medical College Office of Continuing Medical Education, is designed to help identify, prevent and relieve physician stress and burnout.

Dr. Santilli received his medical degree from the University at Buffalo, having completed his fellowship at Weill Cornell University and his post-graduate training at Brown University. He is board-certified in Pulmonary and Critical Care medicine in Schenectady and Amsterdam, New York, and serves as a member of the AMI Medical Education Department.

During his CME presentation entitled, “Relieving Physician Burnout,” Dr. Santilli will chronicle his personal five-year journey to reversing burnout. Dr. Santilli will recount the conditions that led to his burnout, and the specific Yoga Science tools he learned and employed that enabled him to transform the debilitating consequences of burnout into an increase in energy, creativity and a renewed love for and dedication to his medical practice. According to Dr. Santilli, “Having been diagnosed with physician burnout, I found the practical teaching presented at The American Meditation Institute to be the perfect treatment and cure for my disease. Living life in harmony with the basic principles of practices such as AMI MEDITATION, gentle yoga exercises, diaphragmatic breathing and healthy food and lifestyle choices, I experienced a complete reversal of my chronically stressful condition.”

According to faculty director Leonard Perlmutter, who will present the core curriculum of Yoga Science, this year’s CME conference has assembled an impressive faculty of distinguished experts who will provide attendees practical tools that can reverse and prevent burnout. Topics this year will include: a comprehensive overview and instruction on AMI MEDITATION, diaphragmatic breathing, mantra science, yoga psychology, alleviating trauma and PTSD, Food as Medicine, resiliency, mind function optimization, Ayurveda, easy-gentle yoga, lymph system detoxification and the chakra system as a diagnostic tool. New this year, dedicated courses on addiction and pain management, a frequent conference discussion topic and growing global issue, have been added to the curriculum.

The dedication, enthusiasm, and teaching methodology of the entire AMI faculty create a dynamic and interactive course for their students.  Each faculty member is committed to the advancement and training of Yoga Science as holistic mind/body medicine. In addition to Dr. Santilli, other presenters will include Leonard Perlmutter AMI founder; Mark Pettus MD, Director of Medical Education and Population Health at Berkshire Health Systems; Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, PhD, Director of Research for the Kundalini Research Institute, and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; Susan Lord MD, a private practice holistic physician focusing on prevention and treatment, and former course director forThe Center for Mind-Body Medicine’s “Food As Medicine” program in Washington, DC; Jesse Ritvo MD, Assistant Medical Director, Inpatient Psychiatry, University of Vermont Health Center; Renee Rodriguez-Goodemote, MD, Medical Director of the Saratoga Hospital Community Health Center; Joshua Zamer, MD, Medical Director for Addiction Medicine at Saratoga Hospital Community Health Center and Chairman of the Department of Family Practice; Beth Netter MD MT, holistic physician and acupuncturist, Albany, NY; Prashant Kaushik MD, board-certified Rheumatologist; Anita Burock-Stotts, MD, board certified in Internal Medicine; Gustavo Grodnitzky PhD, Chair of the AMI Psychological Education Committee; Jenness Cortez Perlmutter, faculty member of The American Meditation Institute, and Lee Albert, NMT, acclaimed neuromuscular therapist and gentle yoga instructor.

AMI founder Leonard Perlmutter underscores the point that, “Physician stress and burnout are instructive indications that an individual needs to make a shift in perspective to experience a healthy, creative and rewarding personal and professional life. This year’s 10^th annual conference is designed to teach physicians and healthcare providers how to employ Yoga Science and AMI MEDITATION skills that can reliably diminish or eliminate burnout and chronic complex disease symptoms.”

The conference core curriculum has been endorsed by medical pioneers Mehmet Oz MD, Dean Ornish MD, Larry Dossey MD and Bernie Siegel MD. According to Emergency Medicine physician and past participant Negean Afifi DO, “This conference is wonderful! Anyone who has an open mind will benefit from this new, refreshing way to look at life. By applying this teaching, we can shift our perspective and transform draining experiences at work and home into teaching points for our own spirituality and growth.”