The issue of burnout is swiftly growing into a silent pandemic of medical students and of healthcare professionals. Many have been pushed to their limit by long working hours, academic pressure, emotional exhaustion, sleep deprivation and constant exposure to suffering, which has not only affected their own well-being but also the care that the patients receive.
Burnout goes beyond fatigue. It is presented in the form of chronic stress, anxiety, depression, lack of empathy, and demotivation. Medical students experience excessive rivalry and anxiety over failure, healthcare employees have to fight understaffing, heavy workloads, and lack of state assistance.
Otherwise, burnout causes medical errors, bad decision making, drug abuse and career burnout. Making exhaustion a common thing in the profession will not help in producing a solution.
To keep those who provide care to others safe, the system must change, and the reasonable workload, the support of mental health, mentorship, and the culture of prioritizing well-being over performance ought to be put into practice.
Is mental wellbeing care and burnout prevention a requirement in medical education and health care?
MBH/AB