I recently came across a Medscape-sponsored discussion called “How can we make medical training less toxic?” The video is visible here, and you can log into Medscape to read the transcript. The participants – two emergency physicians and one surgeon – discuss sexism in the workplace, corrosive and inaccurate narratives about women residents, the importance of strong mentorship, and diversity training. This topic is additionally important because toxic work environments can lead to depression, burnout, and suboptimal patient care. My experience in residency was marred by sexism and sexual harassment. It saddens me that these problems are still present, but I’m pleased the issues are starting to be addressed.
Blog Archives
Medscape’s Annual Physician Burnout Report is Out and – As Usual – It’s Disturbing
Every year Medscape surveys physicians about career satisfaction. The last few annual reports have been pretty upsetting. Unfortunately, 2022’s results are not happy either.
This year emergency physicians (my colleagues) reported the highest burnout rates of all specialties at 60%. Last year this number was 43%, so there was a large jump in already-high dissatisfaction levels. Next in line were critical care physicians at 56%. But even the specialty with the smallest percentage of burned out physicians – public health and preventive medicine – had rates at 26%. So even in the happiest cohort, one in four surveyed doctors reported burnout.
Looking at gender, fifty-six percent of female physicians surveyed reported burnout; men seemed less dissatisfied, but they were at 36% so that’s not so great either.
Bureaucratic tasks were perceived to be the biggest contributor to physician burnout by their own assessment.
It’s important for those who are considering a career in medicine to approach it with eyes wide open: Take a look at the Medscape National Physician Burnout & Suicide Report 2022 slide deck yourself for more details, and check out my Kevin MD piece on EM burnout here.
Tags: Burnout, Emergency Medicine, Medscape, Mental Health
The Main Demographic Factor Associated with Decreased Satisfaction for Physician Work-life Balance is Female Gender
Wow. When I read that fact in a recent piece on time management by Dr. Sandra Scott Simons in Emergency Medicine News, I was a bit taken aback. It’s not surprising once you really think about it, but at first, it’s a slap in the face.
In her article, Dr. Simons’ discussion of the pitfalls of distractions is particularly resonant for me. If you haven’t already, make sure to familiarize yourself with the concept of Deep Work by Cal Newport. (He has a book, a podcast, you can also find many interviews of him online.)
“Unhappy is He Who Depends on Success to be Happy” – Alex Dias Ribeiro, Former Formula 1 Race Car Driver
Age-related professional decline is the last thing many doctors want to think about. Those who have just finished years of arduous training can’t imagine that they have only 15 years until they will deteriorate (statistically true), and those of us in middle age don’t want to think about our impending, cognitive retreat from medicine. And yet, this fantastic piece in the Atlantic “Your Professional Decline is Coming (Much) Sooner than You Think” by Arthur C. Brooks is a fascinating, well written article about happiness, gifted and accomplished people, and personal relevance with multiple interesting celebrity examples. Brooks also proposes some quasi-solutions (or at least some work-arounds). I strongly recommend this compelling piece for physicians of all ages and stages.
Being Valued is Undervalued
I read an interesting JAMA study on burnout recently. We’ve all heard about the problem and its growth over the past few years. But I found the results of this study particularly interesting: The authors found that chaotic workplaces and lack of control of workload were associated with higher burnout (think emergency departments or a poorly run, overscheduled clinic), while efficient teamwork and feeling valued were associated with lower burnout. People sometimes pay lip service to the importance of being appreciated, but this study really proves its significance.
It’s worth considering this study’s results when making decisions about what field to choose, where to train, and what position to take after residency. Here’s the article.
Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to
stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated
Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more
