Perceptions of Burnout, Personal Achievement, and Anxiety Among US Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residents: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study

Podiatric Medical Resident Wellness: A Group Survey Study

BACKGROUND

Burnout and medical resident well-being has become an increasingly studied topic in medical degree (MD) and doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) fields and specialties, which has led to systemic changes in postgraduate education and training. Although an important topic to address for physicians of all experience levels and fields of practice, there is little research on this topic as it pertains specifically to the podiatric medical community.

METHODS

A wellness needs assessment was developed and distributed to podiatric medical residents via electronic survey to assess overall wellness levels of residents and to highlight several subdomains of well-being in the training programs of the podiatric medical profession.

RESULTS

A total of 121 residents completed the wellness needs assessment. Survey respondents indicated that they experienced high levels of professional burnout, with large numbers of them experiencing depression and anxiety. When analyzing the different subdomains of wellness, levels of intellectual and environmental wellness were high, and levels of financial and physical wellness were reported as low. In addition, free response answers were recorded in the survey regarding well-being initiatives that have been implemented in residency programs, and in many cases no such programs are reported to exist.

CONCLUSIONS

Podiatric medical residents experience compromised well-being similar to their MD/DO counterparts. These exploratory survey group results are concerning and warrant further investigation as well as organizational introspection. Analyzing well-being and implementing changes that can support podiatric physicians at all levels of training could decrease the deleterious effects of burnout in all its forms.

Feeling the Burnout: Perceptions of Burnout, Anxiety, Depression, and Personal Achievement in US Podiatric Medical Students

Medical student burnout is a significant problem, which has led to the introduction of institutional intervention initiatives to combat the phenomenon. However, the incidence of burnout among podiatric medical students has not been previously assessed. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the perceptions of burnout, anxiety, depression, and personal achievement among podiatric medical students. A 50-question anonymous survey containing the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was distributed to all students of eight US podiatric medical schools. Demographic and personal information regarding the student's free time, study time, family support, class or exam failures, loan debt, and previous work experience were recorded. Four hundred and eighty students completed the survey, and 479 responses were eligible for inclusion (response rate of 22.2%). Overall, 65.1% reported moderate or high self-perceived rates of burnout, a rate comparable to allopathic and osteopathic medical students. Respondents also reported high levels of emotional exhaustion and anxiety, but low levels of personal achievement. A predisposition for burnout was identified for third-year students between the ages of 26 to 35 years with borderline or abnormal levels of reported anxiety. The present study contributes to the growing body of literature regarding burnout with respect to the podiatric profession. Despite inherent limitations, the findings suggest institutional interventions for the promotion and development of protective factors may be warranted.