Abstract
Direct exposure to and involvement in music, as well as other arts and humanities, has been empirically confirmed to positively impact both personal qualities and the prevention of burnout in medical students and physicians. With an increasing focus on stress management, burnout, and suicide prevention among medical providers, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha (USA) formed a partnership in the summer of 2018 to create the Nebraska Medical Orchestra. The orchestra is open to all faculty, staff, and students at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine, its clinical partner. After seeing the impressive interest in the NMO, and hearing calls for other musical opportunities, the singing group “Doc’Apella” was formed at UNMC. Other musical groups began to emerge across campus for students, faculty, and staff as a result of these initial partnerships. Two studies have taken place measuring the benefits of participating in Doc’Apella and Nebraska Medical Orchestra, including perceived reduction in the symptoms of stress and burnout among the participants. This paper highlights the Music & Medicine initiatives at UNMC, addressing how to build and sustain programs like these at other institutions. It also considers the positive impact of participation in a musical group with fellow health care colleagues and how it can build teamwork, enhance relationships, and positively influence the culture of an institution. Quantitative and qualitative data are presented to demonstrate the success of using music performance initiatives to improve wellness of healthcare practitioners.
Presenters
Matthew BrooksAssistant Professor/Director of Orchestral Activities in Music & Medicine, School of Music, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
KEYWORDS
Music and Medicine, Music, Performance, Healthcare, Burnout, Wellness
