Emphasizing Mind-Body Medicine to Curb Medical Student Burnout Rates
TL/DR –
Despite a recent surge in medical school enrollment in the US, a shortage of up to 86,000 doctors by 2036 is projected due to many leaving the profession citing burnout and administrative overload. A Mind-Body Medicine elective, helping students cultivate self-care and resilience, has resulted in graduates being more likely to use such practices themselves and recommend them to patients. The author argues that without a structured focus on cultivating these skills, another generation of physicians could be lost, impacting healthcare provision.
US Medical School Enrollment Surges Amid Forecasted Doctor Shortage
Despite the recent surge in new medical school enrollments, with over 20,000 first-year medical students pushing the total U.S. medical school enrollment to nearly 100,000, the American Association of Medical Colleges predicts a shortage of up to 86,000 doctors by 2036.
Physician burnout, administrative overload, and eroding autonomy have caused many American physicians to leave medicine. A recent survey indicates that one-quarter of academic physicians plan to exit the medical profession within two years.
Mind-Body Medicine: A Solution for Physician Burnout?
In the spring of my first year of medical school, I took a course called Mind-Body Medicine, developed by Dr. Aviad Haramati, offering strategies to nurture self-awareness and long-term self-care. The course included wellness practices designed to build resilience, like keeping a gratitude journal, taking nature walks, and rewriting the Hippocratic oath in our own words.
Although Mind-Body Medicine is an elective course, graduates of Georgetown’s Mind-Body Medicine program are more likely to implement these practices themselves and to recommend them to patients.
Physician Burnout: A National Crisis
Despite the benefits of such programs, the burnout problem persists. Nearly half of the physicians in this country suffer from burnout, and 300 to 400 die by suicide each year.
The skills I learned in the Mind-Body Medicine course helped me navigate the challenges associated with caring for the sick. Nevertheless, without a structured focus on cultivating these skills, we risk losing yet another generation of physicians.
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