OP-ED: The Early Beginnings of Physician Burnout By Hadijat Audu, MD and Jasmine Gray, MD Psychiatry Fellows at Charles R. Drew University( continued)
at the onset of one’ s venture into the medical profession, or at the entry level. Less expanded on in this article are the statistics pertaining to the negative psychosocial ramifications and even suicide rates among licensed physicians.
Argument # 2: Mitigating physician burnout leads to improved physician well-being, better productivity, and better patient safety / patient outcomes.
It is imperative to address physician burnout, as well as healthcare professional breakdown generally, to promote the safety of those who are the backbone of our workforce and are relied upon to piously serve the members of our society.
Levels of modification in the academic and training system can and should be applied to students’ training early, to remedy the various shortcomings and address blind spots associated with the mental health of medical professionals. An often-referenced pillar of medical ethics is“ Nonmaleficence”, i. e.,“ do no harm”. While it is well established that a core obligation of the physician is to not harm the patient, if we cannot ensure the basic safety and wellbeing of our physicians, then we cannot guarantee the safety and general health of the patients that we treat.
References
A Tragedy of the Profession: Medscape Physician Suicide … https:// www. medscape. com / slideshow / 2022-physician-suicide-report-6014970
Medical student perspective: the white coat ceremony https:// students-residents. aamc. org / aspiring-docs-fact-sheets-what-medical-school / medical-student-perspective-whitecoatceremony #:~: text = New % 20section, entrance % 20into % 20the % 20medical % 20profession.
Li CJ, Shah YB, Harness ED, Goldberg ZN, Nash DB. Physician Burnout and Medical Errors: Exploring the Relationship, Cost, and Solutions. Am J Med Qual. 2023 Jul-Aug 01; 38( 4): 196-202. doi: 10.1097 / JMQ. 0000000000000131. Epub 2023 Jun 29. PMID: 37382306.
Carrau D, Janis JE. Physician Burnout: Solutions for Individuals and Organizations. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2021 Feb 16; 9( 2): e3418. doi: 10.1097 / GOX. 0000000000003418. PMID: 33680666; PMCID: PMC7929696.
CDU College of Medicine | PG. 44