Physicians across the United States continue to face unprecedented levels of professional distress.

While approximately 45% of physicians experience at least one symptom of burnout, existing interventions have largely fallen short. A new peer-reviewed study published in EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and Healing offers evidence that a different approach may be working.

The research, titled "Compassion, connection, and capacity: Outcomes of a yearlong contemplative medicine fellowship," examined the impact of our Contemplative Medicine Fellowship on clinician well-being, burnout, and capacity for compassion.

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What the Research Found

The study focused on 30 physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who completed the year-long Fellowship program. Participants showed statistically significant improvements across multiple measures:

Burnout decreased substantially:

• Emotional exhaustion dropped by 10 points on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (p < .001)
• Depersonalization—the sense of detachment from patients—decreased by 3 points (p = .015)

Well-being improved:

• Scores on the Physician Well-Being Index improved from 2.5 to 1.8
• Notably, participants who entered the program with higher-than-national-average distress returned to national baseline levels by completion
• Work-life integration improved significantly (p < .001)

Compassion capacity increased:

• Scores on the Compassion Subscale increased by 0.4 points (p = .022)
• This is particularly important given that compassion has been shown to improve clinical outcomes while also protecting against clinician burnout

Professional development strengthened:

• 92% of participants reported feeling better prepared for leadership roles
• 96% described a strong sense of community among Fellowship peers
• Participants reported significant increases in their ability to practice medicine aligned with their personal values

The findings remained consistent across three cohorts totaling 83 participants, demonstrating that the results were not limited to a single group.

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Why This Matters

The research reframes physician distress not simply as "burnout" but as moral injury—the psychological wound that occurs when clinicians are unable to provide the care they were trained to give due to systemic constraints. This distinction is critical: it shifts the focus from personal failure to a rational response to structural problems in healthcare.

As the study's lead author Dr. Anne Kennard and her colleagues note, physicians experiencing burnout are approximately twice as likely to be involved in patient safety incidents, exhibit decreased professionalism, and have dissatisfied patients. The personal consequences include increased risk of suicide, problematic alcohol use, and leaving the profession entirely.

The Contemplative Medicine Fellowship addresses this crisis through evidence-based contemplative practices, peer support, mentorship, and values realignment—going beyond symptom management to restore physicians' sense of agency, meaning, and connection to their work.

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Looking Ahead

The researchers note that while these findings are promising, future studies should examine the long-term sustainability of these changes and explore how contemplative approaches might be integrated more broadly into medical education and institutional wellness programs.

The study concludes that contemplative training may play a meaningful role in reducing physician burnout and moral injury while cultivating the capacity for compassion, agency, resilience, and meaning that drew clinicians to medicine in the first place.

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Read the full research paper: Kennard A, Clinkenbeard J, Gillespie E, Iozzi D. Compassion, connection, and capacity: Outcomes of a yearlong contemplative medicine fellowship. EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and Healing. 2025;21:103269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2025.103269

Learn more about the Contemplative Medicine Fellowship: https://zencare.org/contemplative-medicine-fellowship

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