Editors' note: Residency Training: Enhancing resiliency in our residents: Combining the principles of business and neurobiology

Abstract

In “Residency Training: Enhancing resiliency in our residents: Combining the principles of business and neurobiology,” Llinas et al. discussed business and neuroscientific perspectives on burnout and resiliency. They noted that sleep deprivation, stress, and depersonalization contribute to frontal lobe exhaustion leading to burnout, but that activities that promote spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical renewal can prevent burnout. Robbins applauds the authors for discussing burnout prevention strategies, rather than focusing on treatment of burnout. He further notes that the use of patient satisfaction scores to assess physician performance can contribute to burnout, particularly because these scores can be influenced by a number of factors external to the physician themselves. Llinas agrees that ungrateful patients demoralize physicians and adds that interactions with unprofessional colleagues and patients also lead to burnout. As there are many other factors that can cause burnout, further research is necessary to explore how to minimize burnout and enhance resiliency. In “Residency Training: Enhancing resiliency in our residents: Combining the principles of business and neurobiology,” Llinas et al. discussed business and neuroscientific perspectives on burnout and resiliency.