• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Association for Academic Surgery (AAS)

  • Home
  • About
    • AAS Staff
    • Contact Us
    • Foundation
  • Membership
    • Apply For Membership
    • New Member List
    • Membership Directory
    • Check Dues Balance / Pay Dues
  • Jobs
    • AAS Job Board
    • Post a Job
  • Resources
    • Assistant Professor Playbook
    • Partners
    • AAS Resources
    • Resident Research Funding Primer
  • Grants/Awards
    • AAS/AASF Fall Courses Award
    • AAS/AASF Research Awards
      • Basic Science/Translational Research Award
      • Clinical Outcomes/Health Services Research Award
      • Trainee Research Fellowship Award in Education
      • Global Surgery Research Fellowship Award
      • Joel J. Roslyn Faculty Research Award
    • Travel Awards
      • AAS/AASF Student Diversity Travel Award
      • Senior Medical Student Travel Award
      • Visiting Professorships
    • Awards FAQ’s
  • Meetings
    • Academic Surgical Congress
    • Surgical Investigators’ Course
    • AAS Fall Courses
    • International Courses
      • Fundamentals of Surgical Research Course and Scientific Writing Workshop
    • Resident Research Funding Primer
  • Publications
  • Webinars
    • Fireside Chat – Maintaining Balance & Control
    • Diversity, Inclusion & Equity Series
      • Allyship
      • PRIDE: The LGBTQ+ Community in Academic Surgery
      • Racial Discrimination in Academic Surgery
    • Academic Surgery in the Time of COVID-19 Series
      • How to Optimize your Research During the Pandemic
      • How to Optimize Educational Experiences During the Pandemic
      • Virtual Interviews
    • The Transition to Practice – Presented by Intuitive
  • Leadership
    • Current AAS Leadership
    • AAS Past Presidents
    • How to Chair
    • Committee Missions & Objectives
    • AAS Officer Descriptions
  • Blog
    • Submit a Post
  • Log In

August 20, 2018 by Zoe Stewart Lewis

Burnout in Academic Surgery – #SurgWellness

Burnout can be defined as “a syndrome of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization that leads to decreased effectiveness at work”.1 The concept of burnout in academic surgery has been recognized for well over a decade, with several notable studies drawing attention to the rising incidence. A survey of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) in 2008 found that 40% of respondents reported professional burnout, with 30% screening positive for symptoms of depression.1 Perhaps the most telling finding of this study was that only 51% of responding surgeons would recommend their children pursue a career as a surgeon.1 Since 2011, burnout has increased in all medical specialties, with surgical specialties having rates of burnout exceeding 50%.2-3 It should be no surprise that burnout during surgical residency has also continued to increase. Martini et al4 found that 40% of surgical residents had burnout in 2004, while nearly 70% of surgical residents reported burnout in 2016 survey.5

Why should we care about physician burnout? Aside from the obvious negative impact that burnout has on an individual physician and their family, physician burnout also impairs the delivery of optimal patient care. The ACS found a direct association between surgeon burnout (in particular emotional exhaustion and depersonalization) and an increased likelihood of committing a major medical error.6 It should come as no surprise that physician burnout leads to lower career satisfaction and an earlier retirement age.7 Additionally, recent research proposes that wellbeing is a skill that can be taught, breaking down well-being into 4 domains: resilience, attention, outlook, and generosity.8

What can be done to address workplace burnout amongst academic surgeons? At the individual level, several techniques can lower the burnout risk. These include maintaining a work/life balance and using mindfulness techniques.9 Further, recent literature suggests that both resilience and emotional intelligence are skills that can be taught to surgical residents and are predictors of resident burnout. 7,10 At the institutional level, peer support programs, mentorship, adequate staffing, and assistance to alleviate the administrative/non-clinical physician workload all are strategies that can help reduce physician burnout. Specifically, peer support programs have been initiated to address clinician vulnerability following major adverse events, malpractice litigation, the death of a colleague, and caring for a mass casualty event.11

The August #AASchat will explore these issues through facilitated questions led by our distinguished moderator:

Dr. Max Wohlauer (@doctormaxw), Vascular Surgeon, University of Colorado

In the chat, scheduled on August 28 @ 8PM EST using the hashtag #SurgWellness, we will explore the following questions:

  1. What are your biggest work-related stressors? How do you deal with stress?
  2. What changes/resources would help reduce burnout in academic surgery? Does your institution have a physician wellness program?
  3. Do you know how to help a colleague who may be showing signs of depression or burnout?
  4. Does your residency program screen or discuss burnout with residents? What can/should we do to prepare surgical trainees for a successful long-term career?
  5. Is the concept of work/life balance the “unicorn” of academic surgery?

References

  1. Shanafelt TD, et al. Burnout and career satisfaction among American surgeons. Ann Surg 2009; 250(3): 463-71.
  2. Shanafelt TD, et al. Burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance among US physicians relative to the general US population. Archives of Internal Medicine.2012;172(18): 1377-85.
  3. Shanafelt TD, et al. Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Balance in Physicians and the General US Working Population Between 2011 and 2014. Mayo Clinic Proceedings.2015;90(12): 1600-13.
  4. Martini S, et al. Burnout comparison among residents in different medical specialties.Academic Psychiatry. 2004;28(3): 240-2.
  5. Elmore LC, et al. National survey of burnout among US general surgery residents.Journal of the American College of Surgeons. 2016;223(3): 440-451.
  6. Shanafelt, TD, et al. Longitudinal Study Evaluating the Association Between Physician Burnout and Changes in Professional Work Effort. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2016;91(4): 422-31.
  7. Epstein RM and MS Krasner. Physician resilience: what it means, why it matters, and how to promote it.Academic Medicine. 2013;88(3): 301-303.
  8. Tlaka S. How Science Reveals That “Well Being” Is a Skill. 2016, February 5. Retrieved from https://www.mindful.org/science-reveals-well-skill/
  9. Davidson RJ, McEwen BS. Social influences on neuroplasticity: stress and interventions to promote well-being. Nat Neurosci. 2012 Apr 15;15(5):689-95.
  10. Lin DT, et al. Emotional intelligence as a predictor of resident well-being.Journal of the American College of Surgeons. 2016;223(2): 352-358.
  11. Shapiro J, Galowitz P. Peer Support for Clinicians: A Programmatic Approach. Acad Med. 2016 Sep;91(9):1200-4.

 

 

 

 

  • Bio
  • Latest Posts

Zoe Stewart Lewis

Dr. Zoe Stewart Lewis is an Associate Professor at NYU Langone Transplant Institute and the Surgical Director of the Kidney and Pancreas Transplant programs. Dr. Stewart Lewis serves on several national committees, including Chair of the National Living Donor Assistance Center Advisory Group. In her free time, Dr. Stewart Lewis enjoys spending time with her family and racing mountain bikes.

Latest posts by Zoe Stewart Lewis (see all)

  • Reflections from a “Token Female” Surgeon - September 13, 2018
  • Burnout in Academic Surgery – #SurgWellness - August 20, 2018
  • Medicine’s Ugly Secret: The Epidemic of Physician and Medical Student Suicide - May 15, 2017

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Print

Other Posts from The Academic Surgeon:

Keeping the human connection in academic global surgery
2018 Fall Courses Update

Primary Sidebar

Log In

  • Lost your password?

AAS Commitment to Diversity in Academic Surgery

Save the Date: 2023 Academic Surgical Congress

Save the date for the 18th ASC!
February 7-9, 2023
Hilton Americas-Houston
Houston, TX
More information coming soon.  Learn more>>

2023 AAS Fall Courses

Save the Date! Saturday, October 21, 2023 Boston , MA Courses will take place immediately prior to the ACS Clinical … More Information » about Fall Courses

Footer

Association for Academic Surgery
11300 W. Olympic Blvd, Suite 600
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Phone: (310) 437-1606
Email: [email protected]

Follow Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

© 2023 · AAS - Association for Academic Surgery