Physician Burnout; Letter to the editor response
Originally published 9.22.2023. Response to: Burnout among surgeons: Lessons for psychiatrists” (Current Psychiatry, August 2023, p. 23-27,34-35,35a-35c, doi:10.12788/cp.0383)
More on physician burnout
I am writing in reference to “Burnout among surgeons: Lessons for psychiatrists” (Current Psychiatry, August 2023, p. 23-27,34-35,35a-35c, doi:10.12788/cp.0383). I have spent the last 8 years caring primarily for medical students and residents from osteopathic and allopathic medical schools. While I have collected data on rates of depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and stress, this article hit upon a more nuanced set of observations. I ask every new person at the time of intake about which specialty interests them. Most new patients I see are not interested in the surgical specialties. I recognize that this is anecdotal evidence, but it is pertinent. How and why is the burnout rate so high among surgeons? We know physicians have high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide. But I wonder if this is even more of a problem among surgeons (beginning when these individuals enter medical school). The path to seeking mental health care is unfortunately ridden with barriers, including stigma, cost, and confidentiality concerns. Are these barriers even more problematic in those who self-select into the surgical subspecialities? In other words: Do medical students interested in surgery struggle to attend to their mental health even more so than the average medical student? If so, why?
It would behoove institutions to teach methods to mitigate burnout starting with first-year medical students instead of waiting until the increased stress, workload, and responsibility of their intern year. Knowing there is a potential negative downstream effect on patient care, in addition to the negative personal and professional impact on surgeons, is significant. By taking the time to engage all medical students in confidential, affordable, accessible mental health care, institutions would not only decrease burnout in this population of physicians but decrease the likelihood of negative outcomes in patient care.
Elina Maymind, MD
Mt. Laurel, New Jersey