"Burnout" and a "Path Report"

A recent publication(8/20/12) in the Archives of Internal Medicine published from the Mayo Clinic reports that up to 1/2 of all physicians surveyed have symptoms of burnout.  This looks like an increase as compared to earlier reports of 1/4 of physicians.   What is more alarming is the authors know of no specific effective recommendation.

“Unfortunately, little evidence exists about how to address this problem.”

I think there are answers that look at “well being”.  Here is the conclusion of a reflection by Dr. Sharon Dobie,

“Seasoned clinicians who still love their work know that there is a path. It is well worn, if quietly traveled, by those of us who know that relationships with patients do have mutuality. Our patients and we know that they add to our lives. We both know that we have grown in self-awareness, in part because of the lessons learned in relationships with our patients. We both know that our interactions go best for both of us when we are mindful, coming to an encounter fully present and attending to the dynamic process happening around the narrative presented by the patient. The path is there. It is time to show it to our students and to teach them how to walk it, instead of simply trusting that they will discover it after some frustrating years of fearing they are lost.”

“Equipping Healing Agents: Sustaining Vocation” is a “path report”  that should be available at Amazon in September, 2012.

Marvin

References

http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1351351

Dobie S. Viewpoint: reflections on a well-traveled path: self-awareness, mindful practice, and relationship-centered care as foundations for medical education. [Review]  Academic Medicine.  82(4):422-7, 2007 Apr.