Day 3: Examining the Conditioning of Medical Training

What makes healthcare professionals particularly vulnerable to burnout? Beyond the obvious complexities of the job—constant demands, unpredictability, emotionally charged situations—there are deeply ingrained cultural and industry norms that shape how we function. These expectations, which we adopt during our medical education, can quietly set the stage for burnout later in our careers.

Take a moment to consider this question: How have you changed before and after medical school?

Did you notice differences in your enthusiasm, goals, dreams, or sense of joy before and after training? Did medical school change your worldview? Did you take up new hobbies? What about changes in your personality during residency?

Medical education is a long, transformative journey. While each of us experiences it differently, we all share one common trait: a strong desire to help those in need. This desire is often what pushes us through the rigors of training.

But, in addition to this “helper identity,” medical training instills specific psychological patterns in our minds that can become deeply embedded in our personalities. These same qualities, which help us succeed in medicine, can also lead us to burnout.

Common Traits Developed During Medical Education:

• Workaholic Tendencies – Success often seems to come through working harder and longer hours. You push yourself through every challenge, believing that you can—and should—power through, even when you're running on empty. While being hardworking is admirable, in medicine, this trait can turn into overwork, where basic needs for rest and recovery are overlooked.

• Never Show Weakness – Even when you’re not feeling well, you’re expected to power through and mask any signs of vulnerability. There’s a cultural expectation to remain strong and resilient no matter what. This is one reason why physicians often avoid seeking help for mental health challenges, concealing their struggles until they become unbearable. This unspoken rule about never showing weakness contributes to burnout being a taboo topic in healthcare.

• The Hero Complex – You may feel a deep sense of responsibility to solve every problem and “save” your patients. When things don’t go as expected, you may feel like you’ve failed, even when external factors are beyond your control.

• Perfectionist Mindset – Medicine demands precision, but this can evolve into an unrealistic expectation that you—and those around you—must never make mistakes. You hold yourself to incredibly high standards, which can be unsustainable in the long term.

• The Lone Wolf – There’s a tendency to take on everything yourself, not delegating because you feel the stakes are too high to trust others. This can lead to micromanagement and an overwhelming sense of personal responsibility.

• Putting Others First – As a physician, prioritizing your patients’ needs comes naturally and is essential. However, when you don’t make time to address your own needs, burnout becomes inevitable. Without healthy boundaries, you won’t be able to care for others effectively for long.

These traits, ingrained during your education and training, are useful for success but can also become liabilities. They often lead to poor self-care, self-neglect, and, ultimately, burnout.