Mindfulness in the Medical Learning Environment: An Opportunity for the Struggling Learner?

Mindfulness is defined as nonjudgmentally and purposefully paying attention in the present moment. Mindfulness may be a valuable tool in the remediation armamentarium, useful in bringing attention to an individual's struggles. However, such application has largely been unexplored. In this essay, we provide a conceptual framework for future empirical study of mindfulness interventions for struggling medical learners. We review literature on mindfulness interventions in medical education at-large, apply them to the struggling medical learner, discuss limitations to mindful practice, and provide recommendations that will help faculty assigned to struggling learners be mindful themselves to optimally function in these roles.