Combatting Burnout by Maximizing Medical Student Participation in Exercise Events

Physicians have a higher risk of burnout than many other professions, and burnout is associated with less altruistic professional values, worse patient-doctor relationships, and increased medical errors. Burnout begins in medical school, such that institutions should intervene early to facilitate increased engagement in forms of self-care, including but not limited to exercise. Exercise is negatively associated with burnout, but there is limited research on what motivates students to participate in exercise events and how events could be optimally designed to maximize attendance. Students from nine medical schools across the United States were invited to complete an online survey assessing the effectiveness of various factors at increasing participation in exercise events. Of 5500 invited students, 1182 (21%) responded. Mean age was 25 years, 61% were female, and 38% male. Fifty-seven percent identified as White, 26% Asian, and 5% Black. Students reported financial discounts (56%), having all logistics planned by event organizers (46%), and opportunities to find informal mentors (40%) as most likely to increase participation. To increase student participation in wellness events, institutions should prioritize available funding toward strategies that save students time and money while building community across levels of training and departments.