Burned Out by Dean Mafako, MD
Burned Out (BookBaby) is an insightful look into organizational and interpersonal deficiencies that can erode the most dedicated personnel and cause the collapse of a crucial healthcare facility. Author and pediatric physician Dean Mafako explores the all-too-familiar topic of burnout in the emotionally charged setting of a children’s hospital in Biloxi, Mississippi. In this gripping fictional account, an ambitious cardiac physician fights for the young patients in his care, facing a series of escalating conflicts that threaten to end his career.
We talked with Dean Mafako about his own experience in the medical field and how it informed the contents of his novel, along with his personal feelings on what it takes to combat burnout.
Q: What served as the inspiration for this book?
A: The inspiration for writing this book was based on my own feelings of burnout. I found myself experiencing signs of burnout after 15 years of practicing medicine in a field that I love. After spending time contemplating the etiology of these feelings, I discovered that there were many contributing factors. When I came to this realization, I decided to write a story involving each of these factors in hopes that it may help others struggling with feelings of burnout, in healthcare or in any profession.
Q: As a physician and clinical professor of pediatrics, I’m sure this book is heavily influenced by your personal experience. What first brought you into the medical field?
A: Yes, while this book is fiction, it is heavily influenced by my own personal experiences as well as those of friends and colleagues in the medical field. I always had a passion for helping others and ultimately settled on Pediatrics because kids are born innocent and when they suffer from diseases, most times it is something that they are born with or that is out of their control. I am always amazed by their resiliency and I believe much of that is due to their innocence and the ability to maintain a positive attitude, showing the power of the mind and how it relates to the ability to heal, both mentally and physically.
Q: Although Burned Out is shelved as medical fiction, it clearly draws on real-life struggles in our modern healthcare system. Do you mind expanding on that?
A: While the story is fiction, burnout is real. I brushed it aside my entire career and viewed burnout as an overused term. Sadly, when it hits, it hits hard, and I was left feeling hopeless and I saw no path forward. The concept of burnout is now more publicized and there are burnout coaches and “experts”, yet I don’t believe that there is one recipe that will cure all. Burnout is different for each individual, so I sought to write a story that addressed the many factors that can contribute to burnout. My hope is that others may identify these risk factors and intervene early to prevent their own burnout, which can be crippling. I believe modern healthcare has lost its way. The focus has been shifted towards profitability with less resources, pressuring healthcare employees to work more with less. Ultimately the patient and healthcare workers suffer, physically and emotionally, creating an imbalance between our work and personal life, while also leaving us feeling helpless.
Q: What was the writing process for Burned Out like?
A: The process of writing Burned Out was therapeutic for me. I wasn’t even sure what to write, it just happened. The entire process took me 4 months because I still work full-time as a physician. In all honesty, if I didn’t still work as a clinician, I could have finished the book in 3-4 weeks. I found myself writing for 8-12 hours a day. The amazing part is that it flowed so easily and most days I had to force myself to stop writing. It helped me understand so much about the etiology of my own burnout. The book was my therapist and upon completion I felt a huge sense of relief. I initially wrote the book for that reason, as a means of understanding my own feelings, but when I finished, I felt such relief that I knew I had to publish it, hoping that I could help others who may be suffering from the same feelings I was, so that they could understand that they are not alone and that many are experiencing burnout and that there is indeed a path forward to prevent or recover from burnout.
Q: Do you have a favorite scene in the book?
A: My two favorite scenes are the near-death experiences Dr. Philson encountered in the book. While the story is fiction, these are real-life experiences that actually happened to me during my career.
Q: What would you like to have readers take away from this story?
A: I want readers to know that if they are experiencing feelings of burnout, they are not alone. I also want them to understand the importance of establishing a balance between work and their personal life because an imbalance skewed towards work can have irreparable consequences on your personal/family life. I also want them to understand the importance of finding a supportive job with a nurturing working environment. Toxicity and unsupportive leaders can be detrimental to your physical and mental well-being. If you aren’t in a job that provides a healthy environment, please find a new one. Life is too short.
Dean Mafako, M.D. is an author, physician and clinical professor of pediatrics with more than 15 years of clinical and research experience. He is passionate about medicine and helping others. He enjoys writing fiction and non-fiction novels about difficult and traumatic life experiences that lead to personal growth and spiritual healing in hopes of helping others who may be struggling with life’s challenges.
