K. D. Cofer1, L. Goss1, R. Hollis1, M. Morris1, J. Porterfield1, B. Lindeman1, D. Chu1 1University Of Alabama at Birmingham,Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Introduction: Burnout is common among surgical residents. It is unclear what factors predict burnout and whether burnout changes over time. In this study we examined the association of burnout with emotional intelligence (EI) and performance scores as well as the changes in burnout over time. We hypothesized that resident burnout would be stable over time and associated with EI but not performance scores.
Methods: General surgery residents at a single institution were surveyed in June of 2016 (n = 52) and 2017 (n = 58) using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Trait EI Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQ-SF). Burnout was defined as scoring above pre-defined levels in at least two of the three components of burnout: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA). Job performance was evaluated using faculty evaluations of clinical competency-based surgical milestones and standardized test scores including the American Board of Surgery In-Training Exam (ABSITE) and the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Statistical comparison was made using Pearson correlation and simple linear regression adjusting for PGY level.
Results: Forty residents participated in 2016 (77%) and 10 of these residents were burned out (25%). In 2017, 52 residents participated (90%) and 12 residents were burned out (23%). Of 46 residents who received the survey in both 2016 and 2017, 26 residents (57%) participated in both years with 3 residents having burn out in both years. Changes in burnout status from 2016-2017 were not associated with changes in EI or job performance scores, including changes in ABSITE percentile. Of the 26 residents that participated in both years, 15 (58%) exhibited a change in the number of burnout components they experienced. These changes were not associated with EI or job performance scores. Of the individual burnout components, EE was associated with marital status in 2017, with single residents experiencing higher levels of EE (p=0.01). An increase in DP scores over the year was associated with higher EI scores in 2017 (r=0.39; p=0.05). Increases in PA scores were associated with increases in EI (r=0.41; p=0.04).
Conclusion: Burnout remains prevalent in surgical residents and demonstrates change over time. Single residents reported greater levels of EE. Strategies to better predict burnout are needed as current evaluation methods may not capture the factors needed to assess a resident’s risk for development of burnout.