A new study has found 73 percent of neurology resident report feeling at least one symptom of physician burnout, including emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a sense of ineffectiveness, according to Neurology Today.
Neurologists have some of the highest burnout and lowest satisfaction rates of any practicing physicians, and the study's authors suggested changing the curriculum for first year neurology residents to emphasize life skills and coping strategies and lessen the burden of clerical work. However, not everyone thinks the problem can be addressed through education.
"The patient demand that's out there, the way hospitals are set up, and the intensity and complexity of the patients that come in — it's all draining," said Jennifer A. Vermillion, MD, who reviewed the findings for Neurology Today. "Even when programs are trying to make changes to offer better training and better lives, there's a lot that isn't being done like increasing funding or hiring more staff to help pick up some of that load."
More Articles on Hospital-Physician Relationships:
Thomas Jefferson University medical school unveils new curriculum post-merger
Cleveland Clinic performs third successful face transplant
USC president issues statement to quell uproar about former medical school dean accused of drug abuse