Arts & Culture Health & Science

Riffing Bruno to rein in physician burnout

By Shemar Forbes

A group of medical students dance, sing and rap their way through hallways, operating rooms and elsewhere inside Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Practice harm reduction … Choice in reproduction … It’s people not patients we treat …  Future docs, we all see. We must grant patient autonomy.

Priya Makam sings those lyrics to the tune of Bruno Mars’ “That’s What I Like.”

In that music video parodying several of Mars’ hit songs, she and other medical students are shown studying for exams, working out and simulating patient care. The parodies share their experiences at Ichan Mount Sinai while touching on the issue of physician burnout and how to avoid it.

Third-year medical students Wayland Chiu, who’d earned a Bowdoin College bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and francophone studies,  and Lathan Liou, who’d earned a Pomona College bachelor’s degree in statistics and molecular biology and a master’s in epidemiology from Cambridge, decided to create their own music video while they were roommates during their first year of medical school. In spring 2023, they started crafting the videos, which were released in April.

“Not only are these people in medical school talented and gifted in being able to learn medicine but also are very talented in other aspects, too,” said Chiu, who lead-sings to the tune of Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk.” “And being able to hold onto parts of the identity that go beyond just being a physician is a very important and essential part of avoiding burnout.”

Those medical students sing about the woes of burnout and ways to prevent it, even before they are slated to become full-fledged doctors.

“[There are] things beyond our control that we put in energy or effort [and] we don’t necessarily get the output we want, whether that’s patient outcomes or work outcomes or satisfaction,” said Liou, playing the role of a patient during the music video.

As chief wellness officer at Ichan Mount Sinai health system, Dr. Jonathan Ripp has witnessed the effects of burnout firsthand. He noted that nationally between 40% and 60% of health care professionals are estimated to experience burnout. 

“They are typically very resilient,” Ripp said of medical students, residents and physicians. “They have a lot of hurdles and challenges to get to the point of practice. And so, it’s not about some individual efficiency; it’s about working in a system that often pushes them beyond their levels of resilience.”

Staffing shortages, what some see as the time-sucking tasks of maintaining electronic health records and other factors further contribute to burnout.

“Working in a system where you feel valued and cared for often depends on the behaviors exemplified by the leaders who oversee the system, not necessarily the highest level, but people that doctors and nurses and so forth work with on a daily basis,” Ripp said. “And the extent to which those people recognize and appreciate them, that can take an interest in their community, encourage them to speak up with challenges — if those are optimized, you’re going to be in a culture where you feel valued, and that’s going to promote your well-being.”

By letting the medical students show their creative side, Liou said, the parody project boosted mental well-being. 

“In the music video everyone was able to maximize their ability to do what they most enjoy doing, like writing or singing or acting or dancing,” Liou said. “This is something that you’ve got to really indulge in. Don’t waste your time; do what you love.”

In medicine, Chiu said, self-care is essential not only for preventing burnout but also for performing effectively on the job.

“At the end of the day,” Chiu said, “you can’t care for people if you don’t care for yourself.”