The Distance Between Us: the COVID-19 Pandemic's Effects on Burnout Among Resident Physicians
- PMID: 34692226
- PMCID: PMC8519327
- DOI: 10.1007/s40670-021-01431-7
The Distance Between Us: the COVID-19 Pandemic's Effects on Burnout Among Resident Physicians
Abstract
Entering the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we reflect on how this public health crisis has amplified burnout in the medical profession. In particular, the pandemic has had a significant impact on medical residents. Recognizing trainee burnout as a side effect of the pandemic is crucial and highlights the need for programmatic change to support medical trainees. We reviewed the literature and propose multiple interventions to improve trainee well-being, targeting individual, peer-to-peer, and system levels. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of institutional support for medical trainees to prevent burnout and protect the pipeline of future physicians.
Keywords: Burnout; COVID-19; Medical education; Well-being.
© International Association of Medical Science Educators 2021.
Conflict of interest statement
Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no competing interests.
Figures
References
-
- Shanafelt TD, Boone S, Tan L, et al. Burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance among US physicians relative to the general US population. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(18):1377–85. - PubMed
-
- Dyrbye LN, West CP, Satele D, et al. Burnout among U.S. medical students, residents, and early career physicians relative to the general U.S. population. Acad Med. 2014;89(3):443–51. - PubMed