Introduction:

Burnout syndrome has individual, social and economic impacts. The triad that represents the syndrome affects millions of workers around the world, including healthcare workers and, among them, doctors. Research points to an increase in burnout rates among doctors and residents, but little is said about the syndrome in medical students.

Objective:

By observing students constantly falling ill, we identified the need to understand mechanisms that can be considered triggers. Thus, we investigated how medical interns viewed Burnout Syndrome and the self-identification of symptoms.

Method:

We carried out qualitative case study research using a focus group as a methodological tool. Twenty-two medical students participated in this study, divided into 3 focus groups. The statements were submitted to Content Analysis.

Results:

From these analyses and their inferences, four categories were outlined: ‘(Con)fusion of roles: the process of ceasing to be a student’; ‘A (in)visible syndrome: the trivialization of suffering’; ‘Becoming a doctor: forged in suffering’; ‘(Mis)identification: effects of a far from easy process’.

Conclusion:

Students were unaware of the syndrome and were unable to recognize its symptoms during training. The significant finding pointed to the burden related to lack of time and how it generates a process of suffering in students. Thus, it is believed that the teaching process needs to be rethought so that students can, in fact, learn and grasp all the meanings that the University potentially has to offer.

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