Resilience, Empathy, and Wellbeing in the Health Professions: An Educational Imperative

BACKGROUND Hillel the Elder, who was born in Babylon and lived in Jerusalem in the first century of the Common Era, is a Jewish sage credited with many aphorisms, including the famous one listed above. A closer examination of his wise words suggests that they can apply to many of us: students, faculty, and practitioners in the health professions, especially with regard to the important issue of self-care. Serving others is the core mission of all healthcare professions. But many times these dedicated professionals neglect their own care to the detriment of themselves and their patients. Flight attendants, perhaps following Hillel’s advice, remind us to put our oxygen masks on first, before assisting others. The reason is rather straightforward: If we are not in optimum health, our ability to help others is greatly compromised. And yet data from the United States as well as other countries indicates that individuals working in health professions are at risk for high rates of chronic stress and burnout.1 This applies to nurses, social workers, dentists, and other healthcare workers no less than to physicians. For medical doctors, however, the situation is particularly concerning. In a national study of more than 7000 physicians conducted by Tait Shanafelt and colleagues at Mayo Clinic, approximately 1 out of 2 physicians in practice experienced at least 1 symptom of burnout, and the rate rises even higher for some specialties.2