Author: Taylor Copelin, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, MBS 2024
The apprehension and experience of burnout are familiar to individuals engaged in a pre-health track/profession. Whether they have come close to it or they have experienced/currently are experiencing it, it is a very prevalent topic among the community. About 1 in 3 physicians are currently experiencing burnout at any given time (De Hert, 2020). Anyone who has ever been in a pre-health track knows the fear/feeling of burnout. But why? Nearly every school has a plethora of mental health and wellness services. They offer free events and services to combat the rate of students suffering from burnout, or just stress in general. However, there is a paradox in this situation. Scheduling events during the midday, when the majority of students are in class, or instituting a mandatory wellness seminar encouraging self-improvement can inadvertently subtract from the limited free time students have to manage their daily tasks and personal affairs. For example, when I was pursuing my undergraduate degree, the College of Science would host therapy dogs in the library. A great de-stressor for any dog lover. But it was normally from 11 am-2 pm, which was when the majority of students (including me) were in class. This was also the lunch rush hour, so students would have to choose between getting a good lunch or visiting the therapy dogs. These issues can also extend to hospitals. While physicians are urged to monitor their health and take necessary steps to combat burnout, a high prevalence of stress persists in the medical field. This prompts the inquiry: How can we comprehensively address and mitigate burnout in a more thoughtful and efficient manner?
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The idea of personalized medicine is very prevalent in today’s world. We are currently living in a period characterized by personalized experiences and tailored solutions, and this has extended into medicine. We understand that some treatments do not work for every individual and that we need to create a care plan that is best for the individual. I feel that this needs to expand into wellness practices as well. We need to break from the “one-size-fits-all” mentality. Early intervention and personalized plans could be the key to reducing the burnout rate. At the Medical University of Vienna, a “Coping with Stress” course was added to the undergraduate curriculum, and medical students who participated in the seminar documented a decline in certain burnout indicators, a reduction in stress levels, and an enhancement in awareness regarding accessible support resources (Till, et. al., 2024). Combining this with the option of meeting with a wellness coach to discuss and create a personal plan could benefit many individuals. Incorporating things that you know work for you, while also trying new things to find what may or may not work can help create a list of sources to turn to when any negative feelings invade.
So, what would this look like? The main step in this would first be on the institution. Make sure you create time in the student’s schedules for them to actually have the time to implement wellness practices. This can be hard, especially in the medical field. The packed schedule and feeling of no time to yourself is a huge factor in burnout. But it will prove to be beneficial. Miami Children’s Hospital incorporated a wellness program (with multiple resources and benefits) for employees and their spouses and found that 92% of employees took full advantage (Eskew, CWM). As mentioned previously, do not create mandatory wellness lectures/events/check ins. This can just feel like another chore. Next is to work on your mental health. Personalized mental health services consider not only the symptoms of mental health conditions but also the broader context of an individual’s life, including social, environmental, and cultural factors. This holistic approach helps address underlying causes and contributes to more comprehensive and effective treatment. This can be a preventative initiative as well. A personal wellness plan also needs to consider the cultural background an individual may have. Understanding an individual’s cultural background and beliefs is crucial for providing effective mental health support, as cultural factors can influence the expression of symptoms and attitudes toward mental health treatment. Identify activities in your life that contribute to a sense of grounding. For example, consider participating in a recreational basketball team or forming one with peers who share similar interests. Alternatively, if you find enjoyment in baking, allocate time to experiment with new recipes or to watch episodes of a favored baking program.
Do not forget about the nutritional side of wellness. Meeting with a dietician to discuss your nutritional habits and goals can help build an individualized plan for your needs. Set realistic goals and understand your nutritional needs based on your metrics. You know your body best, so choose foods that will provide you with energy to get you through the day. Do not just follow a pre-set, general diet plan as this could lead to minimal/unanticipated results that could lead to stress. Exercise can be preventative for physical health, as well as mental. Recent studies show that exercise can affect how certain genes are expressed in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, causing an improvement in depressive symptoms (Lei, et al., 2024). Find the exercises that work for your body. I am not a runner or weightlifter, but I like to walk on the treadmill. Walking a couple of miles is something that does not stress my body or put me at elevated risk of injury. It is what works for me.
The most crucial factor in all of this is that the plan must be sustainable. It needs to be tailored to the unique needs and schedule of the individual. You do not want to add things to your schedule to try to improve well-being that you do not realistically have the time for. By tailoring health and wellness strategies to individual needs, preferences, and circumstances, we can address the unique stressors that contribute to burnout. As we acknowledge and prioritize the diverse experiences of individuals, personalized wellness emerges as a crucial tool in creating resilient, thriving communities where individuals can navigate the challenges of life with greater resilience and balance.
References:
De Hert S. Burnout in Healthcare Workers: Prevalence, Impact and Preventative Strategies. Local Reg Anesth. 2020 Oct 28;13:171-183. doi: 10.2147/LRA.S240564. PMID: 33149664; PMCID: PMC7604257.
Eskew, Sandi. “Personalization Is ‘secret Sauce’ for Any Wellness Program.” Corporate Wellness Magazine, www.corporatewellnessmagazine.com/article/personalization-is-secret-sauce-for-any-wellness-program. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.
Till, B., Hofhansl, A. & Niederkrotenthaler, T. Effects of the mental health promotion seminar ‘Coping with stress’ in the undergraduate medical curriculum of the Medical University of Vienna. BMC Med Educ 24, 41 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-05019-0\
Yu, Lei; Xue, Haonan; Li, Zhongtang. Exercise alters molecular rhythms in the central nervous system that negatively correlate with depression-like behavior. NeuroReport ():10.1097/WNR.0000000000001994, January 05, 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/WNR.0000000000001994