Abstract
Introduction
The pervasiveness of burnout in medical students has been well described, however the effectiveness of school-sponsored wellness programming to decrease burnout rates has not been previously studied. The prevalence of burnout and the level of wellness program participation were measured in a cohort of students in order to examine the program’s effectiveness at combating medical student distress.
Methods
The authors constructed a 94-item survey addressing burnout, depression, stressors, sources of support, and knowledge of and participation in the Vanderbilt Wellness Program. Responders rated the degree to which components of the Vanderbilt Wellness Program affected their perceived level of burnout. The survey was distributed to all Vanderbilt medical students during a 2-week period in 2011.
Results
The response rate for the survey was 52 % (N = 234). Forty-nine percent of students met criteria for burnout as determined by the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Burnout was associated with stressors including grades, feelings of inadequacy, time for self, loss of control, and lack of support. Increased participation in the Wellness Program was not significantly associated with decreased burnout however as students’ perceptions of the usefulness of the Wellness Program increased, burnout decreased.
Discussion
School-sponsored initiatives may help combat medical student distress. Although this survey did not demonstrate statistical evidence of the effectiveness of a wellness program at decreasing burnout in a dose-dependent fashion, students’ burnout did correlate with the perception of Wellness Program utility. Future studies of the efficacy of wellness programs are needed to aid in the prevention of burnout in the medical student population.
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F. Joseph Real and Matthew W. Zackoff contributed equally to this work.
Appendix Confounders of burnout included in the survey of student wellness programming at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Appendix Confounders of burnout included in the survey of student wellness programming at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Please check those events you have experienced during your medical school training:
□ Marriage □Death □Adopting/having a child □Personal illness □Divorce □Family illness
Please check your sources of support that you consider to be sufficient and available:
□ Dean of Students □Friends □Faculty □Family □College Advisory Director □Significant other
□Classmates □Pets □Religious/spiritual leader
Please express your agreement with the following statements regarding your cumulative experience at Vanderbilt:
Education is a high priority for faculty.
Vanderbilt promotes a collaborative environment.
Supervising residents/interns are cynical.
Courses/rotations are organized to promote learning.
Supervision from faculty is appropriate.
Supervision from residents is appropriate.
Constructive feedback is received.
Faculties identify areas needing improvement.
Adequate variety of medical problems seen.
Please indicate your agreement with the statement that the following items have contributed to your stress level regarding your cumulative experience at Vanderbilt:
Grades
An uncertain future
Relationships
Time for self
A feeling of inadequacy
Interactions with peers
Debt
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Real, F.J., Zackoff, M.W., Davidson, M.A. et al. Medical Student Distress and the Impact of a School-Sponsored Wellness Initiative. Med.Sci.Educ. 25, 397–406 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-015-0156-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-015-0156-0