Articles related to BURNOUT

Dead may be the wrong word – antiquated, maybe? – as the white-color 9-to-5 office job is becoming a thing of the past. According to this article, a new workforce and new work demands require a fresh approach to work/life balance. A 2019 Mayo Clinic Proceedings article detailed this approach for physicians, transforming work/life into three categories to consider: Work, Yourself, and Others.

The short answer? No. That’s the sentiment from the 12,000+ physicians across 29 specialists who took part in Medscape’s recently released Physician Lifestyle & Happiness Report 2021. Physician burnout and dissatisfaction are not new, but before the pandemic in last year’s survey, 82% of doctors reported they were largely happy outside of work. In 2021, only 58% can say the same.

Some researchers have found that as many as 50% of clinicians suffer from burnout, defined as a long-term stress reaction causing emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and other symptoms that affect quality of life and physical health. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, this specific condition is being seen in those in high-pressure fields more regularly than others.

There are plenty of options when it comes to working part-time as a physician. With all the hours you spent in residency, school, fellowship, and treating patients, it may be time for a well-deserved break that lets you explore different options in medicine. Before you start to burn out, investigate taking on one of these positions. 

In a nutshell, imposter syndrome is the overwhelming belief that you’re a fraud, despite objective evidence to the contrary, and it’s rare for any physician to be completely immune. This pattern of thinking can cause pervasive anxiety, frequently contributing to physician burnout. Here are three tips to help overcome these feelings and take positive steps toward building back your self-worth.

Medscape’s National Physician Burnout and Suicide Report 2020, which surveyed more than 15,000 physicians (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic), found 42% of those interviewed admitted to feeling burned out. Burnout has many causes, but also many solutions. Here are three tips to help you cope on an individualized level.