Professional Burnout Among Plastic Surgery Residents Can it be Prevented? Outcomes of a National Survey

Background Plastic surgery residencies require significant investments of time and psychological resources. We herein determine the prevalence of burnout syndrome among plastic surgery residents and identify potentially protective factors. Methods A national cross-sectional study was conducted among French plastic surgery residents in March 2013. We distributed a validated measure of burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory) in addition to a general questionnaire collecting sociodemographic and professional information. Results Fifty-two residents (61%) responded; their mean age was 29 years. A total of 25% and 13.5% of residents scored highly on the depersonalization and high-level emotional exhaustion burnout subscales, respectively, and 48.1% indicated perceived low-level personal accomplishment. The occurrence of a weekly ward round by a senior surgeon (reported by 67.3% of respondents) appears to protect against burnout (P = 0.007); regular staff meetings in the unit (75% of respondents) were also protective because they limited depersonalization (P = 0.048) and promoted personal accomplishment (P = 0.031). The number of hours worked/week was not significantly associated with burnout. Despite these data, 69.2% reported satisfaction with their careers. Conclusions Almost one third of plastic surgery residents exhibited a high degree of burnout; the risks were increased by being in the early years of training, feeling dissatisfied with career plans, and working in units in which senior surgeons did not make weekly ward rounds and in which regular staff meetings, which offer the opportunity to discuss cases or problems with other professionals, were not scheduled. Burnout increases the risk of medical errors and suicide among residents. Therefore, we suggest that screening for burnout is essential.