An Epidemic
Medscape's 2020 report and other national surveys indicate that physician burnout in the U.S. has reached unprecedented levels, with over 50% reporting burnout in some specialities--and it is only increasing. Caused when good intentions do not produce the desired outcomes, burnout results in "the extinction of motivation or incentive" (Freudenberger & Richelson). Healthcare professionals experience "loss of enthusiasm for work, feelings of cynicism, and a low sense of personal accomplishment," which takes a toll on their own wellbeing, their colleagues, their families, and their patients. Without enough personal time, and insufficient support to cope with the vicarious trauma of serving vulnerable populations, healthcare professionals are in crisis.
If we are going to be well as individuals and as a society, we need our healthcare professionals to be well. Even when you feel well-rested, nourished, and clear-minded, it is challenging to care for someone else. When they are stressed, depleted, exhausted, and resentful of the system that does not support their own wellbeing, clinicians are not equipped to listen and empathize with patients.
Fortunately, teachable practices are proving to alleviate burnout, such as mindfulness training, narrative medicine, and meditation. A study by Krasner and Epstein published in the American Journal of Medicine affirmed that mindfulness training reduced burnout and increased empathy in primary care physicians. These interventions start at the local level, training individual physicians, but have the wide-reaching potential to effect a sea change in our nation’s healthcare culture.
My Experience
For the past decade, I have devoted myself to caring for healthcare professionals. I currently work at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine as Senior Manager of Professional Fulfillment and Well-Being for medical students and house staff, creating and curating programming for trainees and physicians that supports their well-being. I teach narrative medicine and resilience skills, conduct research on resilience in medical trainees, and co-curate the podcast "Thriving in Scrubs." I consult with other medical centers on physician well-being, and coach physicians individually and in groups.
Previously, I have taught narrative medicine, mindfulness, and meditation to medical students, residents, and physicians at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Rutgers University, New York University Medical Center, Lutheran Medical Center, and Cambridge Health Alliance. I developed abortion education curriculum for OBGYN's-in-training that was used at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. I created the narrative medicine curriculum for the Whole Health for Life clinical education program for VA clinicians (Module 16 in the library), developed by the Veterans Health Administration's Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, and University of Wisconsin-Madison Integrative Medicine. I also helped facilitate two week-long intensives for the Leadership and Education Program for Students in Integrative Medicine, sponsored by the American Medical Student Association.