Background

Burnout has become a prominent topic, yet there are limited data on the manifestation of this phenomenon among surgical fellows. The goal of this study is to elucidate the prevalence of burnout and determine if there are protective or predisposing factors in surgical fellowship training.

Methods

A confidential electronic survey was distributed to Fellowship Council accredited fellows during the 2020–2021 academic year. Demographic information and training characteristics were queried. The fellows were then asked to complete the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Short Grit Scale (SGS), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SLS), and General Self-Efficacy Scale (SE). Data were analyzed using p values of ≤ 0.05 as statistically significant.

Results

At the end of the survey period, 92 out of 196 (46.9%) fellowship trainees responded. 69.6% of respondents identified as men, 29.7% as international medical school graduates (IMGs), and 15.3% non-US IMGs. Based on criteria defined by the MBI, there was an 8.4% rate of burnout. Most respondents noted low stress levels (62.3%), good satisfaction with life (58.9%), a moderate amount of grit, and a high level of self-esteem. On comparative analysis, fellows with burnout had significantly higher stress levels, lower levels of satisfaction with life, and less self-esteem.

Conclusions

Overall, there was a low rate of burnout among fellows. We suggest this may be reflective of a self-selecting effect, as trainees who choose to undergo additional training may be less likely to experience this syndrome. In addition, there may be a protective factor during fellowship that results from inherent mentoring, increased specialization, and autonomy. Further investigation of the predisposing factors to burnout in fellowship trainees is warranted based on the results of this study.

中文翻译：

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一个自我选择的预言：外科医生的倦怠流行

背景

职业倦怠已成为一个突出的话题，但关于这种现象在外科医生中的表现的数据有限。本研究的目的是阐明职业倦怠的普遍性，并确定外科进修培训中是否存在保护性或诱发因素。

方法

在 2020-2021 学年期间，向奖学金委员会认可的研究员分发了一份机密电子调查。询问了人口统计信息和培训特征。然后要求研究员完成 Maslach 职业倦怠量表 (MBI)、感知压力量表 (PSS)、短毅力量表 (SGS)、生活满意度量表 (SLS) 和一般自我效能量表 (SE)。使用 ≤ 0.05 的p值作为统计显着性来分析数据。

结果

在调查期结束时，196 名研究金学员中有 92 人 (46.9%) 做出了回应。69.6% 的受访者为男性，29.7% 为国际医学院毕业生 (IMG)，15.3% 为非美国 IMG。根据 MBI 定义的标准，倦怠率为 8.4%。大多数受访者表示压力水平较低 (62.3%)，对生活的满意度较高 (58.9%)，有适度的毅力和高度的自尊。在比较分析中，精疲力竭的人压力水平明显更高，对生活的满意度更低，自尊心也更差。

结论

总体而言，研究员的倦怠率很低。我们认为这可能反映了一种自我选择效应，因为选择接受额外培训的受训者不太可能出现这种综合症。此外，研究金期间可能存在一种保护因素，这是由内在指导、专业化程度提高和自主性导致的。根据这项研究的结果，有必要进一步调查研究金学员倦怠的诱发因素。