Practical Suggestions for Reducing Burnout in US Medical Students

Burnout is common in physicians and medical students in the United States and other countries. This commentary defines burnout in physicians and medical students. A literature review and my own outline will provide a partial list of its many causes of burnout through the four years of medical school. Current recommendations for reducing medical student burnout are more theoretical than practical in many cases. This review consists of my original suggestions for limiting burnout in medical students, including careful listening to the expected concerns and anxieties of beginning students, and support groups throughout the four years. I propose a reduction in the academic workload, more flexible scheduling of licensing examinations, and ways of lowering student educational debt. Reducing the duration of medical school to three years can also be helpful. Finally, a new beginning of the school day during the first two years is proposed.