The impact of a mindful compassion program for medical trainees

Medical training is intellectually, physically, and emotionally challenging. Trainees experience concerning rates of burnout, compassion fatigue, poor mental health outcomes, and reduced overall well-being, which may negatively impact the quality of care for patients. Mindfulness interventions help mitigate stress and reduce burnout, however, limited time, insufficient resources and training, and competing priorities are consistent barriers.

A total of 22 medical trainees, comprising 17 medical students and 5 residents, participated in a 6-week mindful self-compassion training. The pilot study aimed to 1) evaluate the effect of the program on mindfulness, self-compassion, life satisfaction, connectedness, emotional intelligence, stress, and burnout among medical trainees; and 2) explore challenges and feasibility of implementing mindfulness programs in medical training. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were implemented at 6, 12, and 18 weeks.

Results showed significant improvements in levels of mindfulness, interconnectedness, perceived stress, life enjoyment, and compassion. However, no significant changes in rates of burnout, self-compassion, or emotional intelligence were found at any of the follow-up time points.

Findings suggest that accessible interventions can enhance mindfulness and stress management among medical trainees. Additional research is needed to expand the sample size and scale of training.