Work, Life, and Meaning in Surgical Practice

Many US surgeons report burnout and have lost their sense of purpose. We aim to investigate these surgeons' attitudes and practices regarding work-life integration, boundary-setting with patients, and sources of meaning and satisfaction inside and out of surgery. We hypothesize that involvement in patients' lives increases fulfillment and flourishing.

We conducted interviews using six standardized questions. Audio recordings were transcribed, deidentified, and uploaded to NVivo for thematic qualitative content analysis.

We conducted eleven interviews with practicing US surgeons. Eight (73%) acknowledged difficulty balancing their personal and professional lives. Several described this as a negotiation or integration rather than balance. Nine participants (82%) discussed the extent to which being a surgeon was part of their identity and impacted their sense of fulfillment and self-worth. We found that surgeons with high satisfaction were deliberate about creating and maintaining priorities in their personal and professional relationships.

Practicing US surgeons have different opinions on professional boundaries and relationships. Many reject the idea of work-life "balance," instead striving to integrate their work and nonwork activities. Surgeons who report high satisfaction intentionally maintain their priorities and derive a significant value from relationships with patients and/or loved ones. Self-awareness and self-management are essential when negotiating personal and professional commitments and identity.