Modern Medical Education—Some Things Old Should Be New Again

There are many reasons modern physicians are finding themselves burning out. Artificial intelligence lists a top five: excessive administrative tasks, overwhelming workloads, lack of work-life balance, insufficient control, and emotional drain from patient care. These stressors and others can be addressed in part by a reassessment of priorities of life for persons who sense that they might have a true vocation to be a physician. Most young doctors and doctors-in-training began their careers with great determination to be successful and have a happy life with financial security and sufficient family time. Most are aware of lucrative specialties with short work hours. Most do not realize that success in such a field does not necessarily lead to a happy life. The reverse is more likely true. That is, discovering and choosing a medical field which is fascinating and interesting will result in both happiness and success. Reading typed words on an electronic medical record will never replace hands-on medicine at the bedside or in clinic and will likely result in eventual burnout. World-class physical examinations of the likely culprit body system can be stimulating especially when findings are confirmed by attending physicians. Reviewing histopathology, blood smears, Gram stains, imaging, and ECGs in person with an expert can be a form of hands-on learning and is much more likely to lead to understanding of pathophysiology than memorization of facts. Such exercises should be incorporated into medical curricula and is an important hedge against physician burnout.