Self-Reported Flourishing Among US Surgeons: A National Physician Survey

Although surgeon burnout is extensively documented, the medical community has limited corresponding data on what it might mean to thrive in the profession, as captured by robust measures of "flourishing."

We conducted a cross-sectional survey measuring flourishing in a sample of 1,000 practicing US surgeons from the AMA Masterfile between September and December 2025, including the Harvard Flourish Index and Secure Flourish Index. We used multivariable regression to assess personal and professional correlates of flourishing.

Of 959 eligible surgeons in our sample, 283 (30%) responded. The mean flourishing (Secure Flourish Index) score was 7.98 (±1.21) on a 0 to 10 scale (higher score = higher flourishing). Surgeons reported the highest flourishing in "financial and material stability" (8.57 ± 2.11) and "meaning and purpose" (8.50 ± 1.39), whereas "close social relationships" (7.41 ± 2.08) was the lowest-ranked domain. In multivariate linear regression, working fewer hours (adjusted β [each additional hour], -0.02; p < 0.001), having children (adjusted β, 0.43; p = 0.05), and viewing surgery as a calling (adjusted β, 0.28; p = 0.006) were associated with higher flourishing. A majority of surgeons (88%) view the profession as a calling.

Practicing surgeons report high levels of flourishing, with scores surpassing several historical medical and nonmedical cohorts. Most surgeons reported comparatively high scores in meaning and purpose, concurrent with deficits in social connectivity. Burnout and well-being conversations in the surgical professions may benefit from a flourishing framework. Naming meaning and purpose exemplars while being able to identify key deficits, such as social connectivity, may be crucial for helping surgeons thrive.