By: Julia Burkhardt and Jodi Schumacher

Burnout has been a buzzword in higher education and healthcare for the better part of the last decade. Between an overburdened workforce and increased demands of the COVID pandemic, both fields have experienced increased rates of attrition due to the phenomenon of burnout. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), burnout is an occupational phenomenon “conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

Burnout is typically characterized by three dimensions including sustained feelings of exhaustion, professional inefficacy, and depersonalization. When burnout occurs in medical professionals, it increases risk of medical errors, which can affect patient care and outcomes. It also has incredible effects on the bodies of those who experience it, including increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.

The Physician Assistant (PA) and Athletic Training (AT) professions are particularly plagued by an epidemic of burnout. In 2022, approximately 32.2% of PAs reported at least one symptom of burnout according to the National Commission for Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). In another study published in the Journal of American Academy of Physician Associates, it supports this statistic stating that approximately 34% of PAs report experiencing burnout. Similarly, 39.8% of ATs experience burnout with 17% of them experiencing high levels of burnout in a literature review published in 2020 in the Journal of Athletic Training.

Furthermore, 45-60% of professional medical learners will experience burnout during their training. This made us realize that burnout education and prevention would be a perfect topic to explore utilizing one of the Faculty Development Center (FDC) Mini-Grants to Support Student Wellness. 

Thanks to the FDC mini-grant, we were able to have our students participate in a “Be Mindful of Burnout” event. This entailed a series of educational modules in a canvas learning community that culminated in a 2 hour session of mindfulness education and gentle movement in the form of yoga, which was led by Holly Smith MS, MA, LLPC.

During the event, Holly led approximately 40 AT and PA students through a yoga session after discussing signs, symptoms, treatment, and preventive techniques against burnout. Many of the students had not ever done any sort of meditation or yoga before the event and found it very insightful and useful. It was held in the middle of the winter semester, in February, which was the perfect time to help the students (and faculty members) to get out of their mid-semester and mid-winter ruts.

The students were surveyed after the event, and the majority of respondents noted that the workshop taught them tools and strategies to use in their daily life to combat burnout. Additionally, it provided an improved understanding of the link between mental and physical health and improved their ability to notice burnout in themselves and others. One student noted that their favorite part of the workshop was “getting to relax and actually practice methods to decrease burnout” rather than having a “lecture” about burnout.

Overall, the workshop and curriculum was a great success and it would not have been possible without the wellness mini-grant from the FDC. It is our hope to secure funding so that we can continue to offer this as an annual event and potentially extend the scope of the event. If you believe your students would benefit from learning about burnout and you would like to connect regarding hosting a similar workshop, please contact Professor Julia Burkhardt at jburkha7@emich.edu. We look forward to working with you!