An increasing number of physicians are reporting burnout: They are losing their drive and enthusiasm for work, feeling cynical or have a low sense of accomplishment. The 2015 Medscape Physician Lifestyle Report found 46 percent of physicians surveyed felt burned out, compared to slightly less than 40 percent in 2013.
However, burnout doesn't hit all physicians the same. The following data shows the top 10 specialties in which physicians are feeling the most burned out, according to Medscape.
- Critical care (53 percent reported burnout)
- Emergency medicine (52 percent)
- Family medicine (50 percent)
- Internal medicine (50 percent)
- General surgery (50 percent)
- HIV/infectious diseases (50 percent)
- Radiology (49 percent)
- OB/Gyn & women's health (49 percent)
- Neurology (49 percent)
- Urology (48 percent)
The specialties with the smallest percentage of burnout included the following, from least to most burned-out:
- Dermatology (37 percent)
- Psychiatry & mental health (38 percent)
- Pathology (39 percent)
- Ophthalmology (41 percent)
- Gastroenterology (41 percent)
- Rheumatology (43 percent)
- Allergy & clinical immunology (43 percent)
- Pediatrics (44 percent)
- Oncology (44 percent)
- Anesthesiology (44 percent)
Respondents felt too many bureaucratic tasks, long hours at work and insufficient income were the top three factors influencing burnout at work, according to the report.
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