Speaker 1: Imagine this, you're a student in your first year of medical school and it's exam season. You haven't left your room in days, nor have you eaten a proper meal in what feels like ages. You're running out of time and can't afford to take any breaks, so you continue to study as much as you possibly can. Then, suddenly, after weeks of stressing and relentless studying, you simply stop. You're no longer able to focus, nor do you have the motivation or energy to study. It's as if your body and mind have completely given up and you can no longer move forward, no matter how hard you try. You are officially burned out. Burnout is defined as the state of complete physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that typically occurs due to prolonged stress. It is often characterized by a decrease in productivity, motivation and energy, and an increase in feelings of depletion, helplessness, and hopelessness. When an individual experiences burnout, they become emotionally drained and may eventually feel like they are no longer able to complete a given task. In many cases, they may simply not want to because they no longer care. These negative feelings can then translate to other areas of their life, including their home, work, school, and social life. Medical students are especially susceptible to burnout. A 2018 study found that 45% of first-year medical students experienced burnout, 71% experienced high emotional exhaustion, 53% had high amounts of cynicism, and 49% found they were not working as hard on their academics as they used to. Burnout may result from prolonged stress, but it is not the same thing as excessive stress. The main difference between the two is that stress is about too much, whereas burnout is about not enough. While stress is characterized by an over-engagement and over-reactive emotions, burnout is characterized by disengagement and blunted and absent emotions. Stress causes an individual to become hyperactive because it creates a sense of urgency to complete any given task. Burnout makes that same task seem insignificant, leading to a lack of productivity. Now let's imagine a doctor-in-training named D. Mystifying. Dr. Mystifying is starting to acknowledge that she may be on the cusp of burnout. Every day seems exhausting, not just some days. Dr. Mystifying can deal with the burnout through one of three methods. It's up to you to decide what is best for her well-being. Dr. Mystifying could A. Carry on. Exhaustion in medical school, emotional problems, that's normal, right? B. She could start to change her individual behavior, or C. She could voice her concerns to the medical school so that the faculty can approach a different teaching model. Go to the timestamp associated with your choice and response to see if you're right. You chose scenario A. This is not a solution. This route is often chosen by medical students and students in general, and it is the reason burnout. Over 52.8% of U.S. medical students reach burnout. Dr. Mystifying may feel exhausted, but she powers through under the common assumption that eventually these feelings will be worth it when she finishes medical school. This scenario actually poses a danger to Dr. Mystifying. Symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts are prevalent among students in medical school, and 44% of surveyed U.S. medical students experience high levels of emotional exhaustion. What does this mean for students' capabilities as doctors? There's no definite correlation, but the general effects of burnout are harmful to mental health. You chose scenario B. This is a moderate solution. To deal with burnout, studies have recommended changing work habits and developing individual coping mechanisms. These habits include taking mini breaks to relax and to have aspects in your life outside of work, such as social time or hobby time. The biggest emphasis is to find anchors or supports in your life, peers, colleagues, family, and professionals that can help you return from the point of burnout and help you to regain the sense of purpose and happiness you may have lost. You chose scenario C. This is the ideal solution. Medical schools could value from changing their teaching style and incorporating elements of business management and business education to prevent the occurrence of burnout. Burnout can affect medical training because those experiencing burnout become less empathetic as they struggle to find meaning behind their work. In order to reignite the spark that encouraged people to pursue medicine, a recent study suggested having exercises that restore creativity. Medical school is characterized by a typical structure of lectures, seminars, and clinical rotations. This study suggested that community projects and extracurriculars should be encouraged rather than reduced in medical school. By allowing them to create their own project, students regain a sense of control and enthusiasm, possibly preventing the hopelessness and desensitization that characterizes burnout. In order to infuse their curriculums with creativity, medical schools have begun incorporating improv and theater, adding a refreshing take on learning. Acting classes can activate a medical student's empathetic imagination and can help them practice communicating and responding to patients. During improv, one student plays the patient and the other plays the doctor. This type of class structure can build upon teamwork skills and help retrieve those feelings of empathy and care that can be lost in burnout. Medical improv is becoming more popularized in the medical school curricula for its ability to improve learning, collaboration, and patient care. In this video, we have explored the different ways medical students feel and deal with burnout. People reach the harmful stages of burnout such as depression and hopelessness because they so often mistake it for stress, but as discussed, burnout and stress are not the same. Dr. Mystifying could have chosen to not deal with her burnout, deal with it individually or through an organization-wide strategy. The last scenario is the most ideal solution. Burnout exists not only in medical students, but also occurs in many people transitioning from education to a routinely high-pressured workplace. If you believe that you are experiencing symptoms of burnout, please follow Dr. Mystifying's steps in Scenarios B and C and contact your local psychiatric services. With better awareness and more proactive behavior, let's put an end to burnout.