Prevalence and Associated Factors of Burnout in Pediatric General Surgery Fellows

Pediatric surgeons are experiencing burnout at similar rates to other subspecialists; however, little is known about the prevalence of burnout in pediatric general surgery fellows. This study aims to determine the prevalence of burnout in pediatric general surgery trainees.

The Maslach Burnout Inventory and a survey of personal and training characteristics were distributed to current and recently graduated pediatric surgery fellows. Higher Maslach Burnout Inventory subscores of emotional exhaustion (EE) and depersonalization (DP) indicate higher levels of burnout. Descriptive statistics were used to describe respondent characteristics. Burnout, as a dichotomous variable, was compared by chi-square test, and subscale scores werecompared by nonparametric tests for a variety of factors.

The response rate was 41% (52/126); 15% were first-year fellows, 54% were second-year fellows, and 31% were recent graduates. The majority were 30-39 y old (83%) and female (71%). The median [IQR] scores for EE, DP, and personal accomplishment were 23 [17-36], 8 [2-12.3], and 38 [34-41], respectively, with no significant differences by training year. Eighteen percent of respondents met burnout criteria based on high-risk EE subscores in combination with high-risk DP subscores, and 44% and 23.1% of respondents had high-risk EE and DP subscores, respectively. Factors associated with higher EE subscores were fewer hours of sleep and taking home call.

Pediatric surgery fellows experience high levels of burnout along with a high frequency of high-risk EE and DP scores. Lack of sleep and home call may be contributory, and efforts to combat burnout should specifically address these factors.