Burnout is a common experience that many college students undergo with the fluctuations in stress-levels in school. According to Merriam-Webster, burnout can be defined as “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration”. In simpler terms, burnout is feeling an extreme amount of stress after working so hard, whether it’s physical or mental. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, there is a “rising prevalence of burnout among clinicians” which can not only threaten the safety of their patients but also lead to impaired functions in physicians, leading to a deteriorating mental health. 

As a pre-med student, this is a common term that I’ve consistently heard and experienced. We work ourselves to the point of physical and mental exhaustion for the sake of a career that still results in the same outcome. But there are ways to combat burnout, one of the main ones being to take time off from working and occupy yourself with a more relaxing activity. This can be particularly difficult for someone in the healthcare field, who rarely gets time off or someone in medical school whose future depends on their performance in academics. I think the main premise I want to get across is how important it is to have mental health resources for students but also physicians, who are responsible for people’s livelihoods. There are so many measures that medical schools can take to promote mental health such as changes in the curriculum, helping to limit student loan debt, promote a positive learning environment instead of a cutthroat one, provide more services for people experiencing burnout without stigma. While our careers may be the most important goals we have at this time, our health is just as important if not more. Especially as a physician, who is responsible for the wellbeing of hundreds of patients, they should be receiving the best treatment and prevention for burnout and mental illnesses.

Citations:

“Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America’s Most-Trusted Online Dictionary.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/. 

Grose, Jessica. “How to Avoid Burnout When You Have Little Ones.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 15 Apr. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/article/parental-burnout-guide.html.