As part of the Graduate Medical Education (GME) Workshop Series for Interns, an interactive training session was held on July 16, 2025, under the theme “Recognizing and Addressing Physician Impairment: Substance Abuse and Sleep Deprivation.” The session was delivered in two parts. Dr. Soma Ibrahim Ali led the first session on Physician Impairment, highlighting the effects of mental health challenges, substance use, and professional burnout on clinical performance and patient safety. Interns engaged in case-based discussions, exploring ethical responsibilities, early identification, and the role of institutional support systems. The second session, conducted by Prof. Mayssah El Nayal, focused on Cognitive Impairment due to Sleep Deprivation, emphasizing how fatigue and disrupted sleep negatively impact attention, memory, clinical judgment, and safety. Interactive simulations and real-life scenarios illustrate fatigue-related medical errors, while practical strategies—such as evidence-based sleep hygiene, CBT-I tools, and digital applications—were introduced to support better rest and resilience. The interns participated actively, sharing personal reflections and learning tools such as the Pomodoro technique and wearable technologies to manage fatigue and enhance performance.
