BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — In the fast-paced medical environment, more and more people are struggling with burnout and anxiety as they face complex issues.

The University of Mary is now working to equip their students for these challenges.

“We all have to realize we need as much healing as our patients do,” said Dr. Thomas McGovern, a Mohs surgeon at Fort Wayne Dermatology Consultants.

According to Dr. McGovern, 24% of people suffer from anxiety, and this sometimes worsens with pressures in the medical field.

This year, Dr. McGovern and four other nationally known speakers addressed this issue and more at the Saint Gianna Medical Professionals Conference.

“There’s like a 50% burnout rate going on. So many people here, they don’t have emotional or physical energy, they don’t think they’re making a difference, and they really get to the point of not caring,” said Dr. McGovern.

“How do we prevent that or get people out of that? It’s huge in medicine, and the pressures of the medical system are only making it harder right now.”

Dr. Mary Dockter, the Dean of the University of Mary’s School of Health Sciences, says the challenges go beyond just mental health.

“There’s a lot of polarization, a lot of heavy issues that are out there,” said Dr. Dockter. “We want our students to be well-formed, well-informed, about how they are going to approach these really difficult ethical issues that they’re all going to face, once they get out into their various workplaces — from being nurses and doctors and bioethicists and so forth — we want them to be well prepared. “

Dr. Dockter says one of the biggest things she hopes the conference will show the students is how to respectfully and thoughtfully discuss prominent moral issues within the field.

“The issues are vast, everything from artificial intelligence and how that’s going to roll into our care of patients, and informed consent, and gene therapy and so forth, so I think it’s endless.”

The University uses the conference as a way to inspire both students and medical professionals within our community to provide the best care for themselves and others.

The conference segues into the University of Mary’s annual Christmas concert, which is happening December 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m., and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 3.