Surgeons' Burnout During the Medical Crisis in Korea

In February 2024, more than 80% of medical residents resigned, and more than 70% of medical students took a leave of absence to protest the South Korean government's new health care policies. This study examines the existing level of burnout based on a reliable measure and compares burnout levels before and after the onset of the current medical crisis through a comprehensive survey of surgeons in Korea.

We conducted a survey targeting all members of the Korean Surgical Society, and 457 responses were analyzed. Burnout was measured using the full version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS-MP). We compared the burnout levels of Korean surgeons in 2024 with the result of a survey of surgeons conducted in 2019, both of which used 2 short-form single-item measures from the MBI-HSS-MP. Moreover, we conducted a group comparison analysis and performed multiple linear and binary logistic regressions to explore the factors influencing burnout.

The overall burnout rate among Korean surgeons is considerably high at 70.5% on the full MBI-HSS-MP. Weekly working hours are significant predictors of burnout. Compared to 2019, before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, burnout levels measured with a 2 single-item measures of burnout increased from 34.9% to 50.8% in 2024 during the medical crisis in South Korea. The prevalence of full MBI-HSS-MP-defined burnout by rank was as follows; academic tenure, 70.2%; academic other,79.2%; hospital-employed, 60.7%; and private practice,72.1%. An increase in burnout measured with a 2 single-item measures is particularly noticeable among surgeons in the academic field.

This study confirms a high level of burnout among Korean surgeons, underscoring the need for efforts to improve workplace conditions and the healthcare system to alleviate this issue.