A Larger Lens: Medical Students Benefit from Consciousness-Based Self-Care

Abstract

Job burnout is a serious problem in medicine, leading to lost productivity, costly attrition, loss of well-being, and even loss of life through suicide. A major US medical school introduced a 2-credit elective course that featured the Transcendental Meditation® (TM®) technique to try to address this problem. This chapter reports on an 8-year study of medical students’ experiences with this course. The TM technique has been shown to reduce burnout and improve self-care and well-being through the development of consciousness. The authors use qualitative research and a grounded theory approach to assess the effects of this initiative. They report three major benefits. First, the technique addressed their most pressing needs: reducing stress and anxiety. Second, the students reported multiple positive benefits affecting many facets of health, well-being, and learning, including a spontaneous increase in compassion and empathy. Third, TM students reported gaining 2–5 hours of more productive time daily, plus improved relationships and teamwork.