Thriving among Pakistani physicians: A qualitative study.

Area of Science:

• Medical Research
• Physician Well-being
• Qualitative Study

Background:

• Physician burnout negatively impacts patient care and provider mental health.
• Factors contributing to physician thriving remain underexplored.
• This study addresses physician thriving and career satisfaction in Pakistan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To qualitatively explore factors associated with physician thriving.
• To identify challenges and facilitators of career satisfaction among physicians.
• To understand the nuances of physician well-being in the Pakistani context.

Main Methods:

• Snowball sampling recruited 24 physicians from North Punjab hospitals.
• Semi-structured qualitative interviews explored thriving and burnout.
• Job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and burnout were measured.

Main Results:

• Six themes emerged for physician thriving: patient affirmation, serving humanity, social support, spiritual connection, occupational prestige, and outside activities.
• Excessive workload and lack of resources were identified as challenges to thriving.
• Physicians' experiences highlight the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

Conclusions:

• Physician well-being requires a multimodal approach.
• Cultivating resilience and spiritual resources is important.
• Improving social support and the work environment is essential for thriving.