Combating burnout: how to fall back in love with the medical journey

---

Written by: Olivia Gallo

Position, Member Since: Apparel Chair, Joined Fall 2022

Major & Track: Applied Physiology & Kinesiology, Pre-Med

Current Year: 2nd Year

---

“Have you experienced burnout during your career?”

“What are some of your best tips for overcoming burnout?”

“At any point during your journey, did you ever think about giving up?”

If you’ve ever asked or even thought about asking one of these questions, you are not alone. Each of these questions have been asked by uAMWA members at GBMs, networking events, and more. I think it’s safe to say that most pre-health students live in fear of one day resenting the career that they poured so much time and money into achieving. I’m not ashamed to admit that I worry about this pretty often - after a hard exam or a rejection letter, I’ve found myself wondering if the work I’m putting in is ever going to amount to anything. However, after talking with doctors, mentors, and looking introspectively at my own life and pre-medical journey, I’ve definitely found some strategies to manage burnout, and the anxiety that revolves around it.

1) Personalize your pre-health experience.

Shadowing, volunteering, research, clinical hours. Shadowing, volunteering, research, clinical hours. If this is what plays in your head on repeat, then you’ve probably fallen victim to that chart that Pre-Health Advising hands out, with everything you MUST GET DONE in order to get into medical school. While all of these factors are important, what you do with them is completely up to you? Do you love music? Volunteer with Arts in Medicine, or with Passionate Musicians on Call (PMOC). Did you want to be a marine biologist when you were 8 (self-callout) and never kicked your obsession with the ocean? Do research on aquatic ecosystems in Florida, or aquatic species conservation. Your journey belongs to you and you alone, and shouldn’t feel the need to give up your other passions and interests for the sake of adopting a strictly medical persona. Even if you won’t do it for yourself, do it for your future patients. How comforting do you think your bedside manner will be if you can’t relate to your patients, and the only topics you’re able to speak passionately about are the various ailments you’re about to diagnose them with? Investing in your interests is an investment in your future, as well as your happiness and career satisfaction.

2) Shadow as much as possible!

This piece of advice stems from personal experience. Ever since I began my pre-med journey, shadowing has by far been my favorite activity. There’s something so exciting about doctors doing “doctor things” - talking with patients, explaining treatments, and seeing the wheels in their brain turn as a patient explains their symptoms or condition. Shadowing is important regardless, but it is especially important when your mind starts to stray from your why. Why you’re studying so hard, why you’re making so many sacrifices, and why you committed to this path in the first place. I experienced this last semester, when personal issues and burnout combined made it difficult for me to accomplish daily academic tasks. One particularly bad week, I had already agreed to shadow on Friday afternoon, and had been dreading it all morning. However, once I had hauled myself out of bed, across town, and into the clinic at the UF Health Springhill campus, I remembered why I had volunteered myself for this opportunity. Getting to sit in on patient encounters and mentally fit the puzzle pieces together alongside a physician made me feel like I had a purpose, and encouraged me to keep showing up - for my shadowing sessions, for my classes, and for myself and my future.

3) Learn from the stories and experiences of others.

In case it hasn’t been drilled into your head enough, mentorship in medicine is everything, and you should seek it out wherever you can. Meet with your uAMWA mentor, your UFCOM mentor, and any other figures that you’ve adopted as mentors in your life. Need help finding a mentor? Ask a fellow uAMWA member! That’s the foundation that our organization was built on - the ability to support each other and grow together as women in medicine. Aside from interpersonal meetings, I personally love a good read, and many female physicians have poured their hearts and souls into memoirs about their experiences. The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper is one of the best books I’ve ever read, and Cutting a Path: The Power of Purpose, Discipline, and Determination by Sheri Dewan is next on my list. Growth is multidimensional, and advice is too. Take advantage of any and all opportunities for growth while you still can!

I hope that this helped you, and eased your mind about any burnout you may be experiencing. Remember that you are a smart, compassionate, and capable woman. I know that you will do big things, and I can’t wait to watch your hard work pay off.

Sending love,

Olivia Gallo