Assessing Burnout and Interest in Wellness Programs in Physician Assistant Students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Burnout is a growing concern among healthcare professionals and students.
• Previous research has primarily focused on physicians and medical students.
• Physician assistant (PA) students represent an understudied population regarding burnout.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess burnout and quality of life among PA students.
• To gauge PA students' interest in specific wellness interventions.
• To inform the development of a tailored well-being curriculum for PA programs.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was administered to 320 PA students across 8 Virginia PA programs.
• Validated measures for burnout and quality of life were utilized.
• Student interest in wellness interventions, including delivery preferences, was assessed.

Main Results:

• High prevalence of burnout was observed: 79.69% reported emotional exhaustion, and 56.56% met criteria for cynicism.
• Stress reduction (90.63%) and burnout (93.44%) were identified as primary concerns.
• 77.50% of participants were interested in participating in burnout-reducing wellness interventions.

Conclusions:

• High burnout rates necessitate identification of resources and interventions for PA students.
• PA students perceive a need for stress reduction and burnout management.
• Findings support the development of a tailored well-being curriculum to enhance work-life balance and stress management for PA students.