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A Role for Balint Groups in Medical Student Training

A Role for Balint Groups in Medical Student Training Stress, burnout, and erosion of empathy are common in medical training. There is growing interest in efforts to buffer against these outcomes. Balint groups, which explore the doctor-patient relationship, may be of value in this regard. Medical students have reported that stressful clinical care-related experiences are common, that many of them go undiscussed, and that their effects are numerous. Ten medical students participated in a Balint group that met every other week for eight sessions. Participants responded positively to the groups, reporting several benefits including: improved empathy, greater acceptance of one’s limitations, authentic shared experience, and improved tolerance to distress. We propose that Balint groups are beneficial to medical students by addressing an unmet need in their curriculum and fostering future physicians who are better prepared to meet personal and professional milestones. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Annals of Behavioral Science and Medical Education Springer Journals

A Role for Balint Groups in Medical Student Training

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Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 by Association for the Behavioral Sciences and Medical Education
Subject
Education; Medical Education
ISSN
1075-1211
eISSN
1075-1211
DOI
10.1007/BF03355307
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Stress, burnout, and erosion of empathy are common in medical training. There is growing interest in efforts to buffer against these outcomes. Balint groups, which explore the doctor-patient relationship, may be of value in this regard. Medical students have reported that stressful clinical care-related experiences are common, that many of them go undiscussed, and that their effects are numerous. Ten medical students participated in a Balint group that met every other week for eight sessions. Participants responded positively to the groups, reporting several benefits including: improved empathy, greater acceptance of one’s limitations, authentic shared experience, and improved tolerance to distress. We propose that Balint groups are beneficial to medical students by addressing an unmet need in their curriculum and fostering future physicians who are better prepared to meet personal and professional milestones.

Journal

Annals of Behavioral Science and Medical Education – Springer Journals

Published: Oct 16, 2015

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