Exploring the Impact of Inpatient Practice and Gender on Physician Well-Being

This article aims to describe the evolution of physician well-being. Ensuring professional fulfillment and mitigating the risk for burnout are priorities for all physicians. However, the threats and obstacles to preserving well-being are not universal. In both the inpatient and ambulatory settings, there are growing administrative burdens, increased clinical workload, and insufficient time per patient encounter. Among inpatient pediatric subspecialties, particularly high rates of burnout are reported within the field of pediatric critical care. The obstacles to career satisfaction and well-being in both areas are complex and myriad. The demands unique to women in medicine are different than those for men in medicine. Caregiving and gender-based inequities force women out of health care at rates higher than men. A career in medicine risks a woman's fertility and health. Despite increased prevalence of women-dominated subspecialties (eg, pediatrics), their presence in leadership roles continues to be relatively low. We have chosen to focus this article on issues facing inpatient physicians and the unique difficulties of being a woman provider in health care. [Pediatr Ann. 2025;54(7):e244-e248.].