Doctors are burning out more than ever.
So says a study by the Mayo Clinic and the American Medical Association. Surveys of doctor attitudes in 2014 show that certain indicators of burnout have risen since a similar analysis was done in 2011.
Of the nearly 6,880 physicians who participated in the survey in 2014, at least 54.4 percent reported one symptom associated with burnout. In 2011, only 45.5 percent did.
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Based on their response to the 22 question survey, 47 percent of doctors were judged as having a high level of emotional exhaustion, compared to 34 percent with a low score and 19 percent with a median score. Roughly 40 percent were considered depressed.
Overall, doctors appear less happy with their jobs and lives. The percentage reporting satisfaction with work/life balance declined from 48.5 percent to 40.9 percent during the three year period.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, emergency room physicians are most likely to be burnt out, with 70 percent being classified thus by the study. However, ER doctors were also more likely than other physicians to be happy with their work/life balance, although the percentage who reported satisfaction was nevertheless slightly less than half.
In contrast, less than half of the neurosurgeons surveyed reported burnout, but less than 20 percent reported satisfaction with work/life balance. However, only 58 neurosurgeons took part in the survey, by far the smallest sample size for the dozens of medical specialties included in the study.
The doctors with the best deal appear to be those who specialize in preventative or occupational medicine. Less than 40 percent report burnout and more than 55 percent are satisfied with the balance between their careers and personal lives.
OBGYNs are near the middle of the pack on both measures, with just over 50 percent reporting burnout and about 43 percent reporting satisfaction with work/life balance.
And yet, in spite of the evidence that being a doctor can be miserable, 67 percent of physicians say they'd make the choice to become doctors again and 70 percent would choose the same specialty. It's not clear whether it's the paycheck talking or the whole "saving lives" thing.
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