Assessment of physicians' career satisfaction in the Silesian Voivodeship, Poland.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: To assess the career satisfaction of physician's in the Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, in relation to selected factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: The questionnaire survey was conducted among 701 physicians and dentists from the Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, in the period from January to December 2018, using the PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interview) method. Physicians' Career Satisfaction was measured and basic socio-demographic, economic and occupational data, concerning lifestyle and health, and also the level of life satisfaction according to the SWLS (Satisfaction with Life Scale) were collected. Moreover, the occurrence of anxiety and/or depressive symptoms according to the HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) were included in the analyses. RESULTS: Results: The career satisfaction of the surveyed Silesian physicians and dentists was moderate. Wages and combining personal life with work were rated the lowest, while interpersonal opportunities were rated the highest. The predictors: age, economic status and body mass index (BMI) were significant; in addition, in younger age group (25-49 years) - practicing sports and chronic fatigue, and in older age group (50-80 years) - the presence of a chronic disease. A moderate correlation between the level of career satisfaction and life satisfaction was revealed, as well as a lower score in people with the occurrence of anxiety and/or depression symptoms. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The diversified level of career satisfaction of physicians in separated aspects makes it necessary to verify them both at the level of health care units and at higher levels.

Effect of race, gender identity, and their intersection on career satisfaction: A cross-sectional survey of academic physicians.

PURPOSE: Ensuring a representative workforce is a matter of equity and social justice and has implications for patient care and population health. We examined the relationship of the binary gender identity and race of physicians who felt comfortable to self-identify, with workplace experiences and career satisfaction in academic medicine. METHODS: The outcome of interest of a cross-sectional survey of full-time clinical faculty members within the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, was physician's self-reported career satisfaction. Using logistic regression, we examined relationships of binary gender identity (female/male) and race [under-represented minority (URM) versus over-represented in medicine (ORM)] to: workplace experiences (respectful interactions, perception of having to work harder, exclusion from social networks, witnessing/experiencing unprofessionalism, and confidence in taking action to address incivility without reprisal); and career satisfaction, controlling for age, rank, protected time, and workplace experiences. RESULTS: Female gender and URM status were associated with younger age, lower rank, and less positive workplace experiences. 132 respondents (44.4%) strongly agreed they had career satisfaction. Compared with ORM men, career satisfaction was significantly lower for URM and ORM female physicians (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.14-0.65, and 0.48, 95% CI 0.27-0.85, respectively) and non-significantly lower for URM male physicians (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.32-1.19). Adjustment for academic rank and workplace experiences fully attenuated these relationships. CONCLUSIONS: URM female academic physicians had lower career satisfaction than their ORM male counterparts, largely explained by systematic differences in workplace experiences, particularly perceptions of exclusion from social networks and having to work harder to be perceived as legitimate scholars. This suggests a role for institutions and leaders to build inclusive, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive cultures to support the flourishing of all faculty.

Exploring the career experiences of Australian oral health therapists in different practice settings.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the reasons behind Australian oral health therapists (OHTs) pursuing different career pathways. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN: Qualitative study with thematic analysis within an inductive realist approach. METHODS: A convenience sample of OHTs completed semi-structured interviews on Zoom. Participants discussed their experiences working as OHTs and commented on the future directions for the profession in Australia. RESULTS: Participants (n=21) chose clinical practice due to excellent job availability, good remuneration, and the opportunity to use their knowledge. Many indicated that non-clinical careers helped relieve the stress and fatigue of clinical practice. Some also enjoyed the variety that non-clinical jobs brought and viewed them as a means to advance their career. Participants indicated the need to better communicate the professional role and scope of practice of the OHT profession to other healthcare providers such as dentists and the general public. Some viewed independent practice as a way to serve the community. Others did not feel that they had the knowledge and skills to do so. CONCLUSION: These findings may help individual OHTs in career decision-making. OHTs could assume a major role in addressing oral healthcare inequality in Australia.

United States of America Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists' Career Satisfaction by Career Stage.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to examine career satisfaction among United States of America child and adolescent psychiatrists (CAPs) across career stages, identifying predictive factors for their career satisfaction. METHODS: A total of 526 CAPs responded to a national career satisfaction survey. Satisfaction was assessed via responses to statements about their career on a Likert scale. Career satisfaction was defined as the sum of the scores for satisfaction with their choice of career, career advancement, and career recognition. Responses were disaggregated by the number of years post child and adolescent psychiatry residency training (early career: 0-10 years; midcareer: 11-20 years; and late career: 21 + years post-training). Stepwise linear regression analyses identified predictive factors of career satisfaction. RESULTS: CAPs' career satisfaction was high (3.95) and increased with career stage. It was most positively correlated with advancement opportunities, job enjoyment, and control of assigned tasks, and most negatively correlated with workload. Job enjoyment was the leading predictive factor of career satisfaction for early career and late career CAPs, with midcareer CAPs identifying task assignment control as the leading contributor to their career satisfaction (all p = .000). CONCLUSIONS: Career satisfaction in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is high, increases with career stage, and is most predicted by advancement opportunities. Further study of the predictive factors of CAPs' career satisfaction is warranted as we focus on increasing the workforce in child and adolescent psychiatry.

Women's Experiences Navigating Paid Work and Caregiving During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many women lost their jobs or chose to leave the workforce because of increased caregiving demands. Of women who remained employed, many faced increased complexity in negotiating their roles as employees and caregivers. On the basis of existing theory and research on the impact of women's caregiving responsibilities on their careers, we developed a model of the relationships among women's caregiving hours for children and adults, work-family and family-work conflict, perceived social support, and career satisfaction during the pandemic. We collected data from 475 university staff members and tested our model using a path analysis. Results suggested that caregiving hours for children directly influenced work-family and family-work conflict and that social support partially mediated the relationship between family-work conflict and career satisfaction. We discuss how counselors might best work with women who are navigating multiple life roles during a period of family, community, and global challenges.

A snapshot of underrepresented physicians 15 years after medical school.

We conducted a study to compare medical school experiences, values, career paths, and career satisfaction of under-represented in medicine (URiM) and non-URiM physicians approximately 15 years after medical school, guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and the concept of stereotype threat. The sample consisted of four graduating classes, 1996-1999, of Harvard Medical School, 20% of whom were URiM. URiM respondents came from families of lower educational attainment and graduated with more debt. As students, they reported a greater experience of stereotype threat and, and at graduation they showed a tendency to place a higher value on avoiding a career that places them under constant pressure. Concerning their current status, URiM respondents expressed a lower level of satisfaction with their career progress. Multivariable analyses indicated that across the entire sample, URiM status was not a significant predictor of employment in academic medicine, but that being in academic medicine was predicted by mentors' encouragement for a research career, greater intention to pursue research, and a lower value on having a financially rewarding career. Lower career satisfaction was predicted by one's status as URiM, employment in academic medicine, greater involvement in research, and a greater value on avoiding constant pressure. The data suggest that negative student experiences in medical school, combined with the lack of mentor encouragement and financial pressures may discourage URiM medical students from pursuing academic careers, and that pressures for productivity and working in academic medicine may degrade the satisfaction derived by physicians in general.

Physician Burnout, Engagement and Career Satisfaction in a Large Academic Medical Practice.

OBJECTIVE: To determine (1) if engagement among physicians impacted plans to stay in current role and job satisfaction, (2) what factors impact engagement and burnout, and (3) the relationship between engagement and burnout. Burnout has been described as a syndrome characterized by depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and a sense of low personal accomplishment resulting in decreased effectiveness at work. Engagement may be regarded as the antonym to burnout and has been described as a connection to one's work characterized by dedication, vigor, and absorption. DESIGN: We extracted data from an academic practice-wide survey conducted at two time-points and evaluated physician burnout and engagement. We used the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale to evaluate the association between burnout and engagement and the impact of engagement on mitigating the effect of burnout in a large physician academic faculty practice. SETTING: Large academic practice PARTICIPANTS: Academic physicians METHODS: The authors conducted a hospital-wide physician practice survey in 2014 and 2017 assessing physician burnout and engagement. RESULTS: Of eligible physicians (n=1882), 92.0% completed a survey. High levels of engagement and burnout were shown in 59.5% and 45.6%, respectively. Compared to physicians with high levels of engagement and low levels of burnout, physicians with low engagement and low burnout were less satisfied with their career (OR=0.20, 95% CI=0.11-0.35) and less likely to stay in their current role (OR=0.52, 95% CI= 0.37-0.73). Among physicians with high levels of burnout, highly engaged physicians were more satisfied (OR=0.21; 95% CI=0.12-0.36 vs OR=0.08; 95% CI=0.05-0.12) and more likely to stay in their career (OR=0.34; 95% CI=0.25-0.45 vs OR=0.27; 95% CI=0.21-0.34) than non-engaged physicians. CONCLUSION: Engaged physicians have higher career satisfaction. There are many actionable ways to improve engagement.

Prevalence of Burnout and Career Satisfaction Among Oncologists in China: A National Survey.

BACKGROUND: Burnout and career satisfaction has been extensively studied among U.S. and European oncologists, although little is known about the situation among Chinese oncologists. Therefore, we conducted this national survey to investigate the prevalence of burnout and career satisfaction among Chinese oncologists. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between September 2015 and December 2016, a cross-sectional field survey was conducted through the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology and the Chinese Committee of Rehabilitation and Palliative Care. The full-length survey consisted of 59 questions investigating personal and professional characteristics and standardized instruments to measure burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey) and career satisfaction. An additional six questions, derived from the National Survey on the Practice of Medicine by Chinese Physicians related to burnout or career satisfaction, were also included. RESULTS: In total, 3,500 oncologists received the questionnaire, and 2,700 (77.1%) responded, of whom 1,620 (46.3%) were eligible for analysis (median age, 36 years; 56.1% male). Overall, 827 oncologists (51.0%) were burned out. Five factors (lower curative rate of patients, more hours devoted to patient care, more nights on call per week, fewer minutes allocated for return outpatient visits, and more weekends rounding per year) were associated with burnout. Meanwhile, burnout was also strongly associated with a negative view of the physician-patient relationship (p < .001; odds ratio [OR], 2.07). Notably, the career satisfaction (34.4% for career and 52.1% for specialty) of Chinese oncologists was far less than U.S. colleagues, which may result from low compensation (p < .001; OR, 1.660). CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of burnout among oncologists in China was similar to oncologists in the U.S., whereas personal accomplishment and career satisfaction were lower. Interestingly, the reasons were different. Beside high workload, the low curative rate of patients was found to be another factor associated with Chinese physicians' burnout. The ongoing Chinese health care system reform may improve the current situation. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Burnout and career satisfaction has been extensively studied among physicians and oncologists in the U.S. and Europe, but little is known about the situation among Chinese oncologists. This study is the first large-scale national study of Chinese oncologists using standardized instruments to evaluate burnout and career satisfaction. The experience of burnout has been linked to a long list of negative implications. However, this issue has not aroused enough concern in China until now. This study may have a vital significance for the ongoing Chinese health care reform aiming to improve the Chinese health care system.

Family medicine vocational training and career satisfaction in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: Postgraduate vocational training in family medicine (FM) is essential for physicians to build capacity and develop quality primary care. Inadequate standards in training and curriculum development can contribute to poor recruitment and retention of doctors in primary care. This study aimed to investigate: 1) the satisfaction level of doctors regarding vocational training in family medicine and associated demographics; and 2) the satisfaction level of doctors regarding their family medicine career and associated factors. METHOD: This is a cross sectional study of all family medicine physicians across all government-funded primary care clinics (GOPCs). The study questionnaire consisted of items from a standardized and validated physician survey named the Physician Worklife Survey (PWS) (Konrad et al., Med Care, 1999). We selected three scales (7 items) relating to global job satisfaction, global career satisfaction and global specialty (family medicine) satisfaction with additional items on training and demographics. All significant variables in bivariate analyses were further examined using stepwise logistic regression. RESULTS: Out of 424 eligible family medicine physicians, 368 physicians successfully completed the questionnaire. The response rate was 86.8%. Most participants were male (52.6%), were aged between 35 and 44 years (55.5%), were FM specialists (42.4%), graduated locally (86.2%), and had postgraduate qualifications. Eighty-two percent (82%) of participants were satisfied with their training. Having autonomy and protected time for training were associated with satisfaction with FM training. Satisfaction with family medicine as a career was correlated with physicians' satisfaction with their current job. Doctors who did not enroll in training (p < 0.001) and physicians who were older (p = 0.023) were significantly less satisfied. Stepwise multivariate regression showed that doctors who subjectively believed their training as "broad and in depth' had higher career satisfaction (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Overall, the satisfaction level of physicians on current family medicine training in Hong Kong was high. Having autonomy and protected time for training is associated with higher training satisfaction levels. Perceiving FM training as "broad and in-depth" is associated with higher family medicine career satisfaction.

Role of Career Satisfaction in Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Career Commitment of Nurses in Nigeria: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test how basic psychological needs satisfaction contributes to career commitment through career satisfaction among nurses. BACKGROUND: There is an increasing rate of turnover among nurses and a general shortage of nurses in many countries. This has made it necessary for researchers to focus on the career satisfaction of nurses and their commitment to their careers. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional design was employed in a survey of 233 nurses in public hospitals in southeastern Nigeria. Participants responded to self-report measures of career commitment, career satisfaction, and work-related basic needs satisfaction. FINDINGS: In the regression-based path analysis, basic psychological needs satisfaction was positively related to career satisfaction (p < .001) and career commitment (p < .001) of nurses. Career satisfaction was positively related to career commitment (p < .05). Career satisfaction mediated the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and career commitment (95% confidence interval [.009, .068]). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that basic psychological needs are relevant for employee commitment, giving support to the self-determination theory. Career satisfaction provides further explanations for the relationship between psychological needs satisfaction and career commitment, although there could be reverse causal links. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results advance knowledge on how satisfaction of basic psychological needs can increase career satisfaction and foster more career commitment. Designing work environments that help employees to fulfil their basic psychological needs is important in the retention of nurses.

Burnout, Moral Distress, Work-Life Balance, and Career Satisfaction among Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Professionals.

A projected shortage of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) health professionals was identified as a major issue during the National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match System Capacity Initiative. Work-related distress and work-life balance were noted to be potential barriers to recruitment/retention. This study examined these barriers and their association with career satisfaction across HCT disciplines. A cross-sectional, 90-item, web-based survey was administered to advanced practice providers, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and social workers in 2015. Participants were recruited from membership lists of 6 professional groups. Burnout (measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory subscales of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization) and moral distress (measured by Moral Distress Scale-Revised) were examined to identify work-related distress. Additional questions addressed demographics, work-life balance, and career satisfaction. Of 5759 HCT providers who received an individualized invitation to participate, 914 (16%) responded; 627 additional participants responded to an open link survey. Significant differences in demographic and practice characteristics existed across disciplines (P < .05). The prevalence of burnout differed across disciplines (P < .05) with an overall prevalence of 40%. Over one-half of pharmacists had burnout, whereas social workers had the lowest prevalence at less than one-third. Moral distress scores ranged from 0 to 336 and varied by discipline (P < .05); pharmacists had the highest mean score (62.9 ± 34.8) and social workers the lowest (42.7 ± 24.4). In multivariate and univariate analyses, variables contributing to burnout varied by discipline; however, moral distress was a significant contributing factor for all providers. Those with burnout were more likely to report inadequate work-life balance and a low level of career satisfaction; however, overall there was a high level of career satisfaction across disciplines. Burnout, moral distress, and inadequate work-life balance existed at a variable rate in all HCT disciplines, yet career satisfaction was high. These results suggest specific areas to address in the work environment for HCT health professionals, especially the need for relief of moral distress and a greater degree of personal time. As the creation of healthy work environments is increasingly emphasized to improve quality care and decrease costs, these findings should be used by HCT leadership to develop interventions that mitigate work-related distress and in turn foster recruitment and retention of HCT providers.

Learning to cope with anxiety: Long-term links from adolescence to adult career satisfaction.

This study examined the long-term effect of anxiety on career satisfaction for young adults in the United States. The abilities to positively cope with stress and function competently as an adult were examined as potential moderators of this link, and adolescent developmental precursors of these abilities were also investigated. Analyses revealed a negative association between anxiety at age 21 and career satisfaction at age 27. However, this association was ameliorated for youth with better coping skills and functional competence at age 24. Autonomy and relatedness behaviors with best friends and mothers were examined as potential predictors of these moderators, with positive autonomy and relatedness from friends at age 13 emerging as the sole predictor of these skills. Results suggest that although anxiety may inhibit career satisfaction for many youth, positive coping and adult functional competence skills may allow anxious individuals to achieve career satisfaction. Moreover, these skills may be promoted through peer relationships in early adolescence.

[An analysis of the current state of nurses' career satisfaction and its relationship to career calling in the tertiary hospitals].

Objective: To know about the current state of nurses' career satisfaction in the tertiary hospital, and explore the relationship between career calling and career satisfaction. Methods: From September 2017 to December, using convenience sampling, 483 nurses distributed eight tertiary hospitals were selected to complete career satisfaction scale and career calling scale. Results: The total score of nurses' career satisfaction was (2.81+0.65) , four factors were rowed from low to high in order: financial success, power and status, employability, knowledge and skill development (2.29±0.98, 2.64±0.87, 3.10±0.69, 3.20±0.71) . There were significant differences existed in different genders, marital status, educational backgrounds, working lives and positional titles (t=2.51, -1.96, -3.59; F=7.92, 8.83, P<0.05) . The score of nurses' career calling was (3.21±0.81) . There were significant differences existed in different genders, educational backgrounds, working lives and positional titles (t=5.87, -1.96; F=5.60, 11.13, P<0.05) . Career calling is positively related to career satisfaction (r=0.528, P<0.05) . Conclusion: Overall, the level of career satisfaction of nurses is low, especially the financial success. Hospital human resource management should endow more values and meanings on nursing posts, in turn enhance nurses' career calling and career satisfaction.

Seekers, Finders, Settlers, and Stumblers: Identifying the Career Paths of Males in the Genetic Counseling Profession.

Genetic counseling is a female-dominated profession, with 96% of counselors self-identifying as female. Research suggests gender diversification benefits healthcare professionals and the populations they serve. Therefore, this study explored how men choose a genetic counseling career, associations between career satisfaction and their career entry dynamics and experience levels, and differences due to experience level in how they decide on this profession. Twenty-five novice, experienced, or seasoned male counselors and 8 male genetic counseling students participated in semi-structured phone interviews. Interpretive content and cross-case analyses of interview data were informed by Simpson's "Seekers, Finders, and Settlers" theory describing career entry dynamics of men in non-traditional (i.e., female-dominated) fields. Results revealed 13 interviewees were Seekers, who initially knew they wanted a career in genetic counseling, actively chose the profession, and were satisfied with their decision. Eleven were Settlers, who had tried different, traditional jobs, with limited satisfaction before actively finding and choosing genetic counseling. Two were Finders, who discovered genetic counseling while in the career decision making process and made a passive choice to pursue it as they had no feasible, satisfactory alternative. Seven men fit a new category, we termed "Stumblers," who were in another career and satisfied, but changed to genetic counseling after happening to hear about it. Prevalent themes pertaining to participants' experiences in the career include desire for a multidisciplinary career; lack of a priori knowledge of genetic counselor roles; late exposure to the profession; and varied perceptions of being in a non-traditional career. There were few differences due to experience level and career satisfaction was high across the sample. Results suggest earlier exposure to the career and availability of detailed descriptions of its multidisciplinary nature may increase the number of males in the profession.

The effect of perceived overqualification on job satisfaction and career satisfaction among immigrants: Does host national identity matter?

Overqualification is a form of person-job misfit that is common among those who reside in a foreign country. It is associated with poor work-related well-being and can inhibit full adjustment to the host society. The goal of our study is to examine the impact of perceived overqualification on job satisfaction and career satisfaction among immigrants. Furthermore, we investigated immigrants' host national identity as a moderator of the impact of perceived overqualification on job satisfaction and career satisfaction. We analysed longitudinal online survey data from 124 Italian and Spanish immigrants who migrated to Germany between 2000 and 2014. Regression analyses show that perceived overqualification is negatively associated with job satisfaction six months later. Furthermore, host national identity moderates the association between perceived overqualification and job satisfaction: low overqualification is beneficial for job satisfaction whereas high overqualification is a threat for job satisfaction, especially for immigrants who identify strongly with the host society. We do not find corresponding direct and moderating effects on career satisfaction. We conclude that indicators of acculturation, such as host national identity, are worth considering in order to understand the impact of person-job misfit on work-related well-being among immigrants.

A qualitative study of work-life balance amongst specialist orthodontists in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors affecting work-life balance amongst male and female orthodontists in the UK. DESIGN: A qualitative interview-based study with a cross-sectional design. SUBJECTS: Specialist orthodontists working in specialist practice and the hospital service in the UK were selected by purposive sampling. METHODS: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 orthodontic specialists. Interview transcripts were analyzed using Framework Analysis. RESULTS: Four main themes pertaining to work-life balance in orthodontics were identified: work factors affecting work-life balance, life factors affecting work-life balance, perception and effects of work-life balance and suggestions for managing work-life balance within the profession. CONCLUSIONS: There was substantial variation in the work-life balance of the orthodontists interviewed in this study; however the majority reported high levels of career satisfaction despite difficulties maintaining a good work-life balance. Whilst there were some clear distinctions in the factors affecting work-life balance between the hospital environment and specialist practice (including additional professional commitments and teaching/training-related issues), there were also a number of similarities. These included, the lack of flexibility in the working day, managing patient expectations, taking time off work at short notice and the ability to work part-time.

Career satisfaction of Jordanian dental hygienists.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the factors that affect Jordanian dental hygienists with their career satisfaction including financial issues, employment settings and policies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Randomized sample of 102 dental hygienists with a bachelor's degree were selected from the entire population of Jordanian dental hygienists. Participants received a cover letter with a questionnaire. Findings were analysed using descriptive data techniques. Chi-square test was used to determine the statistically significant differences across demographic variables and career satisfaction's factors. RESULTS: About 22.5% of the participants are not working as dental hygienist. Dental hygiene profession in Jordan includes predominantly (74.0%) females. Majority of them (51.9%) were employed in JUST, and minority (6.3%) in MOH. Most of them (56.4%) were aged 24-29 years old, and mostly 62.2% with ≤1 child. About 53.1% employed by general dentist. Almost 35.3% had ≥4 years' job experience. Majority (47.6%) expressed high level of satisfaction with dental materials and equipment to practice work; however, only 2.0% expressed very high level of satisfaction with employment policies. Almost 32.4% expressed low level of satisfaction with salary level. Minority (2.0%) expressed dissatisfaction with quality of dentist's work. Statistically significant association was found between workplace, and dental materials and equipment to practice work, salary level, employment policies (P = 0.003, P = 0.003, P = 0.026), and number of children with flexibility in work hours (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Jordanian dental hygienists' workplacesatisfaction w as significantly associated with dental materials and equipment to practice work, salary level, and employment policies. Understanding the working patterns of dental hygienists in Jordan is important to increase their career satisfaction levels.

Burnout and associated factors among members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology.

OBJECTIVE: Burnout is specific to the work domain and in physicians is indicative of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization in relationships with coworkers and detachment from patients, and a sense of inadequacy or low personal accomplishment. The purpose of this study was to determine the burnout rate among gynecologic oncologists and evaluate other personal, professional, and psychosocial factors associated with this condition. STUDY DESIGN: This study used a cross-sectional design. Current members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology were sent an anonymous email survey including 76 items measuring burnout, psychosocial distress, career satisfaction, and quality of life. RESULTS: A total of 1086 members were invited, 436 (40.1%) responded, and 369 (84.6%) of those completed the survey. Of physicians, 30% scored high for emotional exhaustion, 10% high for depersonalization, and 11% low for personal accomplishment. Overall, 32% of physicians scored above clinical cutoffs indicating burnout. In all, 33% screened positive for depression, 13% endorsed a history of suicidal ideation, 15% screened positive for alcohol abuse, and 34% reported impaired quality of life. Nonetheless, 70% reported high levels of personal accomplishment, and results suggested most were satisfied with their careers, as 89% would enter medicine again and 61% would encourage their child to enter medicine. Respondents with high burnout scores were less likely to report they would become a physician again (P = .002) or encourage a child to enter medicine (P < .001), and more likely to screen positive for depression (P < .001), alcohol abuse (P = .006), history of suicidal ideation (P < .001), and impaired quality of life (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Burnout is a significant problem associated with psychosocial distress and lower levels of career satisfaction in gynecologic oncologists. Burnout in obstetrics-gynecology and gynecologic oncology is of particular concern as young age and female gender are often identified as risk factors for this significant problem. Interventions targeted at improving quality of life, treatment of depression, or alcohol abuse may have an impact on burnout. However, significant barriers may exist as 44.5% of respondents in this study reported that they would be reluctant to seek medical care for depression, substance use, or other mental health issues due to concerns about their medical license.

A Survey of Headache Medicine Specialists on Career Satisfaction and Burnout.

BACKGROUND: Physicians report increasing rates of career dissatisfaction and professional burnout, which may be related to the practice environment and subspecialty. There has never been a survey of professional burnout among headache medicine specialists. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present survey was to learn more about how headache medicine physicians are affected by these issues. METHODS: An email survey was sent to 749 physician members of the American Headache Society with questions or statements about demographics, professional quality of life and satisfaction, future practice plans, and professional burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. RESULTS: In a sample of 127 headache medicine specialists, 66 (57.4%) physicians reported symptoms of professional burnout reflected by high Emotional Exhaustion and/or high Depersonalization. There is widespread dissatisfaction with work schedules, government regulations, implementation of the Affordable Care Act, insurance company policies, malpractice concerns, patient telephone calls, and compensation. Sixty-two percent of respondents concur that headache medicine is becoming more complicated without patient benefit, 14% concur that headache medicine specialists are fairly compensated, and 59% would go into headache medicine again if they were fourth year medical students. In the next 1 to 3 years, 21.3% plan to cut back on hours, 14.2% plan to cut back on patients seen, and 12.6% plan to switch to a cash practice. Medicine and healthcare are changing in such a way that 33.9% concur that they will accelerate their retirement plans. CONCLUSIONS: Headache medicine specialists have one of the highest rates of burnout compared to other physician specialists, which is twice the rate of working adults. Physicians' age and practice environment and experience are related with their career satisfaction and professional burnout. Some attributes of career satisfaction can decrease burnout by reducing emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and by enhancing personal accomplishment. There is widespread dissatisfaction with the practice environment. These findings may portend decreasing access to headache medicine specialists in the future if specialists cut back on hours and patients seen, accelerate their retirement plans, and fewer neurologists are attracted to headache medicine.