Dealing with Burnout in Medical School

Introduction

As a medical student, you'll quickly discover that while the journey is enriching, it's also incredibly demanding. The rigours of medical school, combined with academic pressures and emotional and physical stress, can take a significant toll on your mental health. The relentless hours of studying, exams, and clinical training won’t be very helpful either.

Section 1: Understanding Burnout and It's Importance

Why Is This Important?

“Ok, but is this not part of becoming a doctor?” you might ask. Well…..yes and no. While it is true that an extreme amount of stress and studying is expected on this path, that still does not change the fact that carrying an ever-increasing burden on your back is unhealthy. This accumulating mental burden will eventually build up and creep past its tipping point, eventually leading to a condition known as Burnout.

Burnout? What Is That?

Burnout is a psychological syndrome emerging as a prolonged response to chronic interpersonal stressors on the job. The three key dimensions of this response are overwhelming exhaustion, cynicism, detachment from the job, and a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment. (Maslach et al 2016). Exhaustion, cynicism, and a lack of accomplishment are quite a few things that all sound rather familiar. That may be because many, if not most, medical students experience these at some point in their journey, if not throughout it altogether. While the lethargy and lack of will to keep going are a completely understandable effect of the syndrome above, that does not change the fact that it can cause one to lag in their studies, thus comprising one’s ability to effectively maintain a healthy work-life balance along with their desired academic goals.

Section 2: Recognizing Burnout

How Can I Tell If I’m Burned Out?

Feelings of physical and emotional drainage, emotional detachment from things you once loved, feelings of incompetency or uselessness, as if you aren’t good enough, alienation, desensitisation, and cynicism are all signs of burnout. If you experience one or more of these on a day-to-day basis, there is a strong chance you might be suffering from this syndrome.
Admittedly, recognising burnout can be difficult unless you have heard of it before. I first went through it while preparing for my Professional Exams. The endless all-nighters, coupled with an excessive workload and little to no sleep, finally took its toll, and one day I just crashed. I was stretched thin, exhausted, ready to give up, with little to no motivation to continue. I lost the will to study and enjoy any of my passions. I didn't feel like hanging out with my friends or doing anything. This continued for a few days. I felt disassociated from reality as if nothing I was doing mattered, and I didn't know why I felt that way. It wasn't until I told a senior of mine about what I was going through that I was able to find out that I was suffering from the aforementioned syndrome.

Section 3: Mitigating Burnout

What Can I Do?

Prioritise Self-Care:

• Why It Matters: Getting adequate sleep, regular exercise, and a balanced diet are crucial for maintaining physical and mental energy levels.
• How to Implement: Follow a consistent sleep schedule, incorporate exercise into your routine, and eat healthy, home-cooked meals instead of processed or fast food to improve your well-being significantly.

Manage Time Effectively:

• Why It Matters: Effectively managing your time reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed and helps maintain focus, preventing an excessive workload pileup.
• How to Implement: Use planners or digital tools to organise your schedule.

Seek Support:

• Why It Matters: Emotional support from others, especially either trained professionals or peers in the same situation as you, can provide a sense of community, reducing the feelings of isolation usually associated with burnout. Moreover, sharing your burdens with others, more often than not, can help ease its load.
• How to Implement: Reach out to friends, family, or counsellors for support. Join study groups or peer networks to share experiences and advice. Don’t hesitate to seek professional help if needed.

Set Boundaries:

• Why It Matters: Setting aside personal time is essential for relaxation, preventing overcommitment and additional stress.
• How to Implement: Learn to say no to additional commitments that could overextend you and clearly define your time. Ensure you allocate time for hobbies and activities you enjoy, as activities outside medical school are crucial to maintaining your mental health.

Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques:

• Why It Matters: Mindfulness and relaxation techniques help manage stress and improve focus, promoting mental clarity that will allow you to reflect upon yourself, helping you supplement your strengths and improve upon your weaknesses.
• How to Implement: Engage in meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, exercise, or even prayer if you are inclined. Set aside time each day for these activities to cultivate a calm and focused mind.

Take Breaks and Time Off:

• Why It Matters: Regular breaks prevent burnout by allowing your mind and body to rest and recharge, improving productivity.
• How to Implement: Reward yourself for reaching mini-milestones by incorporating short, frequent breaks during study sessions, ensuring you take days off to rest completely. Plan mini-vacations or leisure activities to provide a mental break from academic pressures.

Schedule Your Studying:

• Why It Matters: By scheduling your study time, you can avoid having your work piling up, forcing you to go through an unreasonable amount of material at the very last minute.
• How to Implement: Use a calendar to create a study schedule for yourself by noting down days you wish to study certain subjects or setting deadlines to ensure you stick to your routine.

Conclusion

Learning how to deal with my burnout effectively took me quite a bit of time. It took months of therapy, soul searching, and reorganisation until I could finally manage myself in a way that allowed me to keep up with my studies and my personal life. However, none of that would have been possible if I hadn't reached out and asked for help.

In conclusion, it’s vital to recognise that our struggles aren’t unique as medical students. Almost everyone faces burnout; it's a collective mountain we climb as part of the medical community. No matter where you are on this journey, you're not alone if you're experiencing burnout. Support is available, and building resilience is possible. You can push through emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and feelings of diminished achievement. Let's embrace our medical journey—one rich with passion, resilience, and perseverance.

Additional Resources

/Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry/ (Maslach & Leiter, 2016)