We’ve blogged about burnout rates among physicians and junior residents on the blog in the past because we feel that it’s important to call attention to the elevated stresses associated with working in the medical field. Unfortunately, a new study reveals that nothing is getting easier for general surgery residents.
According to research published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, more than two-thirds of general surgery residents meet the criteria for burnout, and many of them have thought about leaving their residency program because of it. The study adds to the growing body of research suggesting that burnout among residents has reached epidemic proportions.
Resident Burnout Rates
For the study, researchers conducted a national survey of residents across a wide range of medical specialties. Here’s what researchers learned:
- General surgery residents had the highest rates of burnout. Radiology residents had the second highest rates, followed by surgical subspecialties, anesthesiology and internal medicine.
- Pediatrics, family medicine and pathology had the lowest burnout rates.
- 69 percent of all responding residents met the criteria for burnout on at least one measurement of the Maslach Burnout Inventory.
- 44 percent reported that they considered dropping out of their residency, and the same percentage said they would not choose general surgery again due to burnout.
- 40 percent said they would choose a career outside of medicine if given the chance to go back in time.
- Women were more likely to report feelings of burnout than men (73.4% to 64.8%).
“The question we need to ask is, ‘What is it about general surgery training and expectations specifically that is putting these trainees at risk, and what can we do about it?'” said senior author Isaiah R. Turnbull MD, PhD. “We need to better understand the drivers and implications of burnout in surgical residents so we can identify who is at risk and develop strategies to reduce that risk.”
Interestingly, researchers found that burnout rates were elevated “despite the majority of respondents adhering to work hour limitations,” leading study authors to suggest that “attempts to address burnout should extend beyond work-hour restrictions.”
In the end, while researchers noted that there is no “one size fits all” approach to fix burnout in the medical field, they did note that burnout rates were lower when residents had structured mentor programs and individualized guidance when needed.
“The experience of burnout and contributing factors are likely to be highly individualized,” researchers concluded. “Mentoring relationships can aid in early identification of burnout and help trainees develop strategies to mitigate their individual experience of burnout.”