Meaning in Medicine: Staying Connected to What Matters Most

Burnout- defined as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and apathy toward one's work - is endemic in medicine. There is evidence that a significant cause of burnout is a loss of connection to deeper values. This course will help students identify and articulate their own ethical, cognitive, and humanistic impulses for entering the profession of medicine. Through lectures, discussions, small group reflections, and role-plays, students will develop skills that will allow them to nourish a connection to their values throughout their clinical training and into practice. Specific topics covered will include: honoring priorities outside of medicine, appropriate self-care, managing difficult medical encounters, and grappling with suffering as an inevitable part of clinical practice.