{"id":3446,"date":"2019-05-04T14:23:19","date_gmt":"2019-05-04T05:23:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/163.180.4.222\/lab\/?p=3446"},"modified":"2019-05-04T14:23:19","modified_gmt":"2019-05-04T05:23:19","slug":"what-medicine-can-teach-academia-about-preventing-burnout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biochemistry.khu.ac.kr\/lab\/?p=3446","title":{"rendered":"What medicine can teach academia about preventing burnout"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The medical programmes we see in our training as physician-scientists are becoming more progressive and supportive of students. Here\u2019s what academia can learn from them, say Yoo Jung Kim and Erik Faber.<\/h5>\n

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Many researchers experience burnout at some point in their career.<\/span>Credit: chabybucko\/Getty<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Burnout \u2014 work-related stress resulting in emotional and physical exhaustion \u2014 remains an expected rite of passage for many professions. However, the medical community has begun to place more emphasis on reducing burnout \u2014 and science academia would do well to learn from it.<\/p>\n

Despite the differences between medical and scientific training, stress is a common denominator for students in both fields. For example,\u00a0in a 2011 survey of graduate students<\/a>\u00a0at 26 major US universities, 37% of graduate students in the natural sciences and 41% in engineering or computer science reported experiencing \u201ca bit more\u201d or \u201ca lot more\u201d stress than they felt able to handle. Similarly, a 2010 cross-sectional study found that 52.8% of medical students at 7 US universities had experienced burnout1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Graduate students must contend with juggling coursework and research, lack of external validation, perceived devaluation of their work by the public and anxiety over future job prospects. All of these stressors combine to create a toxic environment in which cynicism and pessimism can prevail. Many studies have shown that people who experience stress also experience decreased productivity2<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and creativity3<\/a><\/sup>, compared with those who feel little or no stress \u2014 yet these two traits are key to being a successful scientist.<\/p>\n

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Graduate programmes can help students to combat burnout. We propose that institutions take the following steps:<\/p>\n

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1. Enable time away from the lab.\u00a0<\/b>In sectors such as the technology industry, flexible work policies have led to more-satisfied, more productive employees4<\/a><\/sup>,<\/sup>5<\/a><\/sup>. Although working from home or taking time off spontaneously is less feasible in medical and graduate training, some institutions have embraced trainee wellness, allowing students to take absences as needed.<\/p>\n

At Stanford University School of Medicine in California, medical students who are rotating in the clinic or the hospital can take up to two or three days of absence during every four- to- eight-week rotation, including for their well-being. This allows students to take care of themselves discreetly by attending health-services appointments and arranging counselling and psychological services as needed, without having to disclose what care they\u2019re seeking.<\/p>\n

2. Create external incentives and validation.\u00a0<\/b>Although many graduate students are self-driven, a reward system could help students to feel more valued by their research community. Some medical-residency training programmes have employed external reward systems to increase research productivity: for instance, at one residency programme at the University of Missouri in Columbia, trainees are awarded points for every major step they take in research-oriented endeavours, such as publishing a paper or presenting at conferences6<\/a><\/sup>. The points are then converted into extra funding for career-related enrichment, such as personal medical equipment, books, travel to academic events and membership of professional organizations.<\/p>\n

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