COM Outlook Winter 2019

BURNOUT 32 | DR. KIRAN C. PATEL COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE Burnout. It’s a term we use for a generalized feeling of decreased motivation, apathy, and perhaps a disconnect from something we were once passionate about. Burnout, however, goes beyond that. It isn’t merely a loss of drive, but also the precipitation of anger, cynicism, depression, frustration, and hopeless- ness that bleed into our personal and occupational lives. What was once just a mental health buzzword is now an official International Classification of Diseases 10 code (Z73.0) and is becoming a recognized problem with widespread prevalence in health care. According to the 2018 Medscape National Physician Burnout & Depression Report, out of 15,000 physician respondents, 42 percent reported experiencing burn- out. While this may seem like a large percentage, the actual number is undoubtedly higher and under- reported because of the stigmas against mental health issues in the medical field. In the article “Mental Health During Residency Training: Assessing the Barriers to Seeking Care,” 61 percent of the respondents said they would have benefited from psychiatric services. Despite this fact, however, only 24 percent of residents sought treatment because of concerns about lack of time, confidentiality, what their colleagues would think, and the effects it could have on obtaining licensure. Although burnout is some- thing clearly affecting physicians and medical students, there is still a strong stigma against mental health care within the culture of practicing medicine. At the same time, burnout and mental health issues are not confined to being a doctor, but are also associated with the journey to becoming one. After all, the privilege to wear that revered white coat and earn those two prized letters following one’s name is rife with physical and emotional adversity. How else could we have such compelling personal statements? At the same time, as future D.O.s, do we not believe that the body, mind, and spirit are interconnected? Take, for example, the following story about one student’s experience with burnout leading up to medical school. Undergraduate Flashback It’s the summer before his undergraduate senior year, and he’s on what feels like a one-way ticket to Africa. For the next month, he’ll be working in a nonprofit clinic in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, treating families with tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. He’s filled with excitement about starting his path in medicine. STUDENT Perspectives Learning to Cope Along the Path to “D.O.ctorhood” BY MICHAEL LAI STUDENT PERSPECTIVES