“Your Wellness Program Is Interfering With My Well-Being”: Reducing the Unintended Consequences of Wellness Initiatives in Undergraduate Medical Education

Abstract

Physician burnout rates are on the rise due to increasing clerical workload, reduced sense of efficacy, and moral injury. Untreated, burnout can lead to medical errors, a decline in empathy, and, in extreme cases, suicide. Medical students experience burnout associated with maladaptive coping strategies, and lack of exercise. Physicians and medical students who practice regular self-care have higher well-being scores and better patient outcomes. To mitigate burnout, undergraduate medical institutions have adopted student wellness programs. However, medical students may perceive mandatory wellness activities as ineffective, promoting unhealthy competition and cultivating toxic positivity. At A.T. Still University's School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, we have worked to reduce the unintended consequences of wellness programs. Strategies to reduce these consequences include providing optional activities at meetings, detailing related scientific evidence and encouraging faculty and staff participation. The current article delineates these mitigation strategies.

Yoga as an adjunct activity for medical students learning anatomy

“…Another study found that using yoga postures to teach lower limb musculoskeletal anatomy not only enhanced one’s anatomical knowledge, but facilitated the transfer of this new knowledge into one’s yoga practice [ 13 ]. However, it has been suggested that requiring wellness activities in addition to demanding academic curricula may have negative consequences, such as perceived loss of productivity, toxic positivity, and lack of effectiveness from medical students [ 14 ].…”

“…The primary purpose of the study was to determine if a Hatha yoga class synced with anatomy lectures (by including anatomical locations, innervations, actions, and functions of the muscles and organs from lecture) would enhance the process of learning anatomy reflected through test scores in the first year anatomy course of medical school. If true, this could help to address concerns identified from other studies [ 12 , 14 ], such as participating in yoga is a loss of productivity or not effective for medical student stress and standardized tests. Positive results would hopefully increase student buy in for wellness programs and therefore improve participation.…”

Promoting Student Wellness and Self-Care During COVID 19: The Role of Institutional Wellness

“…In addition, addressing barriers to self-care is vital to ensure sound participation ( 18 , 29 ). Due to the demanding pace of medical education and training, students and residents may perceive wellness activities as an encroachment on their time, which in turn may inadvertently increase stress levels and decrease their participation ( 18 ). Perceived loss of time from participating in wellness activities can be lessened through protected time for self-care activities.…”

“…These activities should address the varied dimensions of wellness including physical activity, socialization, proper nutrition and stress management (17). However, the demanding pace of medical training often makes it a challenge for students to prioritize the time required for self-care activities (18). Ayala et al, in a 2017 study on self-care, found "a robust inverse relationship between perceived stress and medical students' quality of life" (17).…”

“…These activities should address the varied dimensions of wellness including physical activity, socialization, proper nutrition and stress management ( 17 ). However, the demanding pace of medical training often makes it a challenge for students to prioritize the time required for self-care activities ( 18 ).…”