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Objectives: The incidence of burnout in medical students and residents continues to outpace that of the general population. Self-compassion, a concept in the study of well-being, may moderate against adverse mental health outcomes. The aim of this study is to extend prior research by investigating self-compassion levels in relation to sociodemographic variables and self-reported burnout in Dutch medical students and residents. Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey design. After inclusion, 295 participants completed the online survey. Self-compassion was measured using the Self-Compassion Scale Short-Form. Self-defined burnout symptoms were measured using a single-item measure. Data were analysed using multiple linear regression. Results: Being male was associated with having higher levels of self-compassion (β=0.131, p<.001) as well as being of higher age (β=0.175, p<.001). Reporting burnout was negatively associated with self-compassion (β=-.412, p<.001). Discussion: This study substantiated previous research linking low self-compassion to burnout, and showed a potential increased vulnerability of young and female students. Further investigation of causality and the processes underlying self-compassion development are needed to investigate whether self-compassion interventions can enhance the well-being of medical students and residents.

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Introduction: Patients with diverse cultural backgrounds experience barriers in access to care, and do not always receive the care they need. To prepare future doctors to provide high quality care for all patients, adequate diversity education is essential. At VUmc School of Medical Sciences, we therefore developed a bachelor second year module on Care ethics and Diversity using an arts-based approach. The aim of this study was to evaluate the module from the students' perspective, and to gain insight in the relationship between evaluation outcomes and student sociodemographic characteristics.