COM Outlook Winter 2019

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 35 In retrospect, as a second-year student and mental health chair for the class of 2021, it’s easy to see where I had gone awry. I could have sought help to fight my burnout, taken time off, and reached out for support. However, in that moment, it was as if nothing anyone could do would change how I felt. For me, the change had to come from within. Although I can suggest any number of ways to help combat burnout, the truth is that there is no cure-all. The only constant is accep- tance and having a desire to grow. Cycle of Burnout The duality in medicine lies with the overwhelming obstacles and emotionally draining experiences mixed among humanistic endeavors to care for someone and accomplish something greater than ourselves. We work long hours and build up an ever-increasing amount of sleep debt that weakens our resolve. As budding physicians along the path to what I’ve affectionately called “D.O.ctorhood,” we can’t fall into a cycle of burnout that can muddle the reasons why we chose to pursue medicine in the first place. Regardless of my preaching, the horrible truth is that many of us will inevitably face burnout. The constantly growing challenges specific to health care will try to smother our empathy and push us toward depression and hopelessness. What we can change, however, is how we react. We can focus on the positives of our experiences and accept our failures. We can become self-aware and in tune with our emotions. We can know that burnout is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of being burdened by the deeply ingrained humanity we all share. We can know that acknowledgment doesn’t mean accepting defeat, but is taking the first step in recovery. Finally, we can know that, of the many physicians that have come before us, and the thousands that will come after, we are not alone in our battles. As our osteopathic tenet says, the body has an inherent ability to heal itself. With time, we, too, can heal our past wounds and overcome the demons that haunt us. We, too, can continue to follow our dreams in this marathon we call medicine, and, maybe one day, be that difference in the world we so badly want to be. † Top: In March 2018, Michael Lai volunteered during spring break to participate in the college’s medical outreach trip to Puerto Rico to assist victims of Hurricane Maria. Above: Lai represented the KPCOM Mental Health Awareness Task Force during a 2018 suicide awareness and prevention event held at NSU’s Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus.