Socioeconomic Factors Associated With Burnout Among Oncology Trainees

Abstract

PURPOSE: Burnout in the medical workforce leads to early retirement, absenteeism, career changes, financial losses for medical institutions, and adverse outcomes for patients. Recent literature has explored burnout in different specialties of medicine. This article examines burnout among medical oncology trainees and identifies factors associated with burnout and professional dissatisfaction, including socioeconomic factors. METHODS: US medical oncology programs were sent a survey that included the Maslach Burnout Index–Human Services Survey as well as demographic, socioeconomic, and program-specific questions tailored to medical oncology fellowship. Primary binary end points included burnout, satisfaction with being a physician, and satisfaction with being a medical oncologist. Binomial logistic models determined associations between various characteristics and end points. RESULTS: Overall, 261 US fellows completed the survey. Seventy percent of international medical graduates reported no educational debt, whereas only 36% of US graduates reported no educational debt. Eighty-two percent of survey respondents reported their mother had at least a bachelor’s degree, and 87% of respondents reported their father had at least a bachelor’s degree. At least 27% of respondents had symptoms of burnout. Factors inversely associated with burnout on multivariable analysis included having a mother who graduated college (odds ratio [OR], 0.27), reporting an adequate perceived balance between work and personal life (OR, 0.22), feeling that faculty care about educational success (OR, 0.16), and being in the final year of training (OR, 0.45). Having debt ≥ $150,000 (OR, 2.14) was directly associated with burnout. CONCLUSION: Symptoms of burnout are common among medical oncology fellows and are associated with educational debt and socioeconomic factors.

Burnout in oncology: Magnitude, risk factors and screening among professionals from Middle East and North Africa (BOMENA study)

“…Our results are consistent with previous studies in which young age, increasing workload and being an early‐career oncologist were associated with higher rates of BO 33 . The still‐evolving personal and professional experience, lack of support and/or mentoring among early‐career professionals can explain this finding 34 35 Of note, only 10% of participants were in practice for more than 20 years, which could be due to the participation of fewer professionals over 55 years (6% of the study participants), infrequent use of social media and/or early retirement.…”

“…33 The still-evolving personal and professional experience, lack of support and/or mentoring among early-career professionals can explain this finding. 34,35 Of note, only 10% of participants were in practice for more than 20 years, which could be due to the participation of fewer professionals over 55 years (6% of the study participants), infrequent use of social media and/or early retirement. Administrative work is becoming an ever-growing part of the routine daily care of patients.…”

How Physician Compensation and Education Debt Affects Financial Stress and Burnout: A Survey Study of Women in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

“…However, this is 2.5 times higher than debt incurred by graduating medical students in 1986, adjusted for inflation 3 . Furthermore, debt may influence choice of medical specialty, driving students toward higher paying fields 4,5 . Financial debt has also been associated with burnout and suboptimal quality of life 6,7 …”

Not a “first world problem”—Care of the anesthetist in East and Southern Africa

“…Socio-economic factors and debt are predictors of burnout even in US trainee physicians. 24 When the lived experience is so different, is it reasonable to expect the causes of burnout to be similar, or even the phenomenon to mean the same thing in a high-income or a low-income setting?…”

“…The year‐by‐year lived experience also brings challenges and expectations that are very different from physicians in high‐income countries (see Table 1) for a further representative account. Socio‐economic factors and debt are predictors of burnout even in US trainee physicians 24 . When the lived experience is so different, is it reasonable to expect the causes of burnout to be similar, or even the phenomenon to mean the same thing in a high‐income or a low‐income setting?…”