More Than a Medical Student

Brogan Crockett, OMS III,  MS, MHA, NR-P 
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine - Southern Utah
EMRA Medical Student Council Osteopathic Coordinator, 2025

Edited by:
Olivia Voltaggio, OMS III
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine - Southern Utah
EMRA Medical Student Council Editor, 2025

When I got my first job on the ambulance, I was excited. My graduating class and I were intrigued by the new job - the opportunity to drive “lights and sirens,” help people, and get a taste of practicing medicine. As we were anxiously responding to calls day and night, I found myself getting heavily involved in making my new job my personality. Over time I also realized I wasn't the only one; many of my friends and colleagues began to identify themselves as who they were on the clock. 

We were losing sight of what made us who we are. This led to a vicious cycle of not having any activities outside of work, my hobbies and time with family and friends slowly dwindled. I believe we felt a duty or an obligation to put the needs of everyone else above our own; we are nurturers by nature, which is the basis of any medical career. While being a paramedic was one of the most rewarding careers I've experienced, I've also learned the vulnerability of humanity, and how precious and fragile life is.

Fast forward, I'm in medical school. This is what I, along with many others, have worked so hard to accomplish. We’re that much closer to the ultimate goal of being a physician. This change in my career and my education brought a lot of excitement, but it, too, had its own new challenges. For me, being older than the average age of my class, virtual learning and managing my schedule without set class times was a feat all in itself. The demands of medical school take up so much of your time, some even move thousands of miles from home to fulfill their dreams. Naturally, as a good medical student, you decide to dive right in, easily consumed by the academic rigor. Going through this process, I found similarities to my paramedic career - I, along with my new friends, was identifying solely as a medical student. We were falling victim to the demands of medicine and losing sight of who we are.

Medical student, resident, and emergency medicine (EM) physician burnout are significant issues within medical education and practice, each with distinct yet overlapping challenges. Medical students experience high levels of burnout due to academic pressure, long hours, and limited autonomy, with studies indicating that nearly 50% report symptoms of burnout, including emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.¹

Residents, particularly in demanding specialties, face increased stress from long work hours, sleep deprivation, and high patient loads, with approximately 60% experiencing burnout, contributing to depression and decreased job satisfaction.² EM physicians are especially vulnerable due to shift work, high patient acuity, and administrative burdens, with burnout rates exceeding 65%, often leading to early career attrition and increased medical errors.³ Addressing burnout at all levels requires systemic interventions, including workload adjustments, mental health support, and institutional culture shifts promoting well-being.

If we're not careful, we can let our passions become our identity, our jobs become our identity, our schooling become our identity, and we slowly lose sight of who we are. As I progressed through medical school, I made the change. I embraced all the things that define me: I’m a loving husband to a beautiful woman, an outdoorsman, an adventurer, a novice at-home chef, and then, a medical student. 

My request to all readers is simple. Make sure you don't lose your sense of self. Take the hike, cook the new recipe, take the trip - these things are just a fraction of what has gotten you to where you are today. Sure, you could study more and be rewarded with a higher exam average, but you will never get back the experiences and the memories you make along the way. Grades will pass, but whether you get the B or B+, life goes on, and it’s what you make of it. These positive memories will make the difficult times of a future emergency physician that much easier. You've got to look after yourself, be your own advocate, and remember the unique person you were when you first went into medical school, because you are more than a medical student.

References

1. Dyrbye LN, Thomas MR, Shanafelt TD. Medical student distress: Causes, consequences, and proposed solutions. Mayo Clin Proc. 2014;89(3):318-330. 
2. West CP, Dyrbye LN, Erwin PJ, Shanafelt TD. Interventions to prevent and reduce physician burnout: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2018;388(10057):2272-2281.
3. Shanafelt TD, Boone S, Tan L, et al. Burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance among US physicians relative to the general US population. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(18):1377-1385.