Combating Burnout & Improving Mindsets in Medical Education

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About the Project

The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) and its partner, Motivate Lab, are uniquely positioned to address and remediate the persistent and growing burnout crisis. Our mission is to confront the burnout epidemic in medical training and academia head-on. Through the development of strategies and practical toolkits, RMIM aims to not only support students, faculty and staff but also promote long-term health equity. By empowering future physicians, we are building pathways to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes in rural and underserved communities across the country.

Our Work
Our Work

Evidence-Based Courses to Foster Student Well-Being, Resilience, and Success

Resilient Mindsets in Medicine

For Faculty & Course Designers

Equip educators with evidence-based strategies to create more motivationally-supportive learning environments. Participants learn how to leverage the power of learning mindsets in ways that can support students to be more resilient and less likely to burnout.

Student Support Professionals

For Student Affairs & Support Staff

Designed for those in academic support, student affairs, advising, mental health, wellness, career development, and student life—fostering systems change.

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The Largest Well-being Survey in Osteopathic Medical Education

Through this program, we conducted the largest national survey on medical student well-being in osteopathic medical education. With participation from all Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and a remarkable 72% response rate, findings demonstrated that learning mindsets are positively associated with well-being and negatively associated with burnout.

72%
Response Rate
Key Finding

Burnout is significantly worse among graduating students.

% of Students Experiencing Emotional Exhaustion (Burnout)

100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 29% 64% Entering Graduating 2022–23 28% 66% Entering Graduating 2023–24
Entering students Graduating students

Publications

Explore the scholarly work that has developed from this 4-year project.

Medical Science Educator · 2025

Workplace Factors that Affect Medical Educator Well-being

Himmelberger, Z.M., Johnson, B., Carey, K., Tibbetts, Y., Barron, K.E., Hulleman, C.S., & Speicher, M.R.

Explore what a national survey of osteopathic medical faculty reveals about the workplace conditions that support or undermine educator well-being, and what leaders can do about them.

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JAMA Network Open · 2024

The Relationships Between Learning Mindsets and Osteopathic Medical Student Psychological Well-being and Ill-being

Tibbetts, Y., Himmelberger, Z.M., Barron, K.E., Speicher, M.R., & Hulleman, C.S.

Explore how the way students see themselves as learners is linked to flourishing, resilience, burnout, and symptoms of depression and anxiety during medical school.

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Families, Systems, & Health · 2024

How Can a Growth Mindset-Supportive Learning Environment in Medical School Promote Student Well-being?

Himmelberger, Z.M., Tibbetts, Y., Barron, K.E., Speicher, M.R., & Hulleman, C.S.

Explore the classroom conditions that help medical students build a growth mindset, and how those environments translate into better well-being outcomes.

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What Our Participants Are Saying

  • “As an educator, the way well-being is affected by student perceptions about me has literally changed the way I teach”

    OSU Faculty

  • "I need to model growth mindset for my students"

    PNWU Faculty

  • "I've learned strategies to implement in my classroom to improve my students mindsets and improve their well- being"

    UNE Faculty

Working Together

Medical school faculty are partnering with AACOM and motivation science experts at Motivate Lab to address resilience in Osteopathic medical students. This partnership is determined to identify the best strategies for supporting physician well-being and diversifying the physician pipeline.

Our Team
Our Team