Burnout Among Beginning First-Year Students from Three Health Professional Training Programs

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Student Well-being
• Health Professions

Background:

• Student burnout is a growing concern in health professions education.
• Understanding prevalence across different programs is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine burnout prevalence among first-year students in Advance Practice Registered Nursing (APRN), Medicine, and Physician Associate (PA) programs.
• To identify factors associated with burnout in these student populations.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous survey administered to all first-year students across three health professional programs.
• Burnout measured using subscales for exhaustion and disengagement.
• Statistical analyses included ANOVA, t-tests, and multivariable linear regressions.

Main Results:

• A high response rate (97%) yielded significant findings.
• Female students reported higher total burnout and exhaustion than males.
• APRN and PA students exhibited significantly higher burnout and exhaustion than MD students.

Conclusions:

• Burnout among first-year health professional students is more prevalent than expected.
• Competitive grading and early clinical exposure are potential contributors to student burnout.
• Educational leaders should evaluate grading systems and clinical introduction timing to mitigate burnout.