Structured Curricular Change Fails to Combat Resident Burnout

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Occupational Health
• Family Medicine Research

Background:

• Family Medicine (FM) faculty at David Grant USAF Medical Center (DGMC) implemented Clinic First principles during the 2020-2021 academic year.
• The faculty hypothesized that these educational changes could mitigate resident burnout symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of Clinic First principles on resident burnout in a Family Medicine program.
• To evaluate changes in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal achievement among residents.

Main Methods:

• A study was conducted at a US Air Force FM residency program.
• The Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel assessed burnout domains pre- and post-curriculum implementation.
• Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Twenty-five FM residents participated, reporting moderate burnout at baseline across all domains.
• A statistically significant increase in emotional exhaustion (P=.03) was observed.
• No significant changes in depersonalization (P=.37) or personal achievement (P=.08) were found.

Conclusions:

• Residents in the DGMC FM program experienced moderate burnout at the start of the academic year.
• The Clinic First initiative's full potential was not realized, and curriculum changes did not definitively prevent burnout.
• Further research is recommended to explore burnout interventions in residency programs.