Uncovering Academic Burnout in the Health Professions Classroom

To encourage health profession students to reflect on and share an important aspect of their educational experience and analyze students' responses for common themes.

This qualitative exploratory interprofessional education project used photovoice methodology. Images and reflections were collected from 13 radiation therapy students and 44 physical therapy students exploring the most important aspect of their educational experience. The students were responsible for submitting an original photograph and a written reflection in response to a prompt and explaining why they chose that photograph. Photographs and reflections were collected and analyzed by all researchers, and themes were identified.

The themes of stress and feeling overwhelmed were identified by all researchers, which sparked further examination into academic burnout. Subsequent themes, which correlated with the theme of academic burnout, were coping strategies and gratefulness.

Reports of mental illness, depression, and anxiety among college students are increasing. Increased awareness and requests for faculty support require educators to ensure students also are mentally prepared for graduation and entry-level practice. Implementing this low-stress interprofessional education project provided faculty with the opportunity to observe their students' worlds more deeply and gain a greater respect for their struggles and perseverance.

Self-reflection projects, such as the one described in this study, allow health profession students to explore and share key feelings, experiences, and insights. Exercises like this help reduce stress, isolation, and academic burnout among students and provide educators with insights into their students' lives.