Physician Burnout: Physicians left jobs in 2021
Physicians are Leaving Medicine
A report published by Definite Healthcare found about physicians in 2021. 117,000 physicians left the workforce. Many physicians said burnout and pandemic related stressors were the reason for leaving the workforce. The top 2 specialities that lost the most physicians were internal medicine with 15k, and family medicine with 13k.
Covid-19 played a role. Physicians also stated they weren’t able to work at the top of their licenses because they are spending more and more time on administrative tasks. They have to deal with more and more ‘non-clinical' issues, which results in more burnout.
Add this information to a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. This study found 62.8% of U.S. physicians are burned out. This study found the major factors contributing to burnout include administrative burden, time at work and lack of autonomy. What’s my take away for this information? Physicians are burning out of the field due to not being able to work at the top of their abilities (see- time dealing with non-clinical issues or admin tasks), more time at work, and the lack of autonomy. I see Covid-19 as an event that magnified stressors already present prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
What is Burnout
Burnout has always been present in healthcare. Burnout is traditionally defined as having 3 dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism and inefficacy or you are tired all the time, see the world in a negative lens, and downplay or have a negative view of your own accomplishments.
Symptoms of Burnout
Burnout is always easy to spot. There are signs and symptoms of burnout. Physical signs include feeling tired, headaches or migraines, muscle aches and pains, and change in eating and sleeping patterns. Emotional signs include loss of motivation, feeling helpless and defeated, detached from the world, feeling no emotions, and feeling negative overall. Behavioral signs include using drugs and alcohol to cope, isolating yourself from others, skipping work and procrastinating. If you have these symptoms or are feeling this way, go talk to someone to figure out what is going on.
Work Related Burnout
As I said earlier, burnout has always been present in the healthcare field. Work related burnout can be caused by different factors. When people feel like they have no control over their own work, aka being told to do more administrative work when that is not their expertise, this can lead to burnout. Working in a high-pressure environment or a chaotic environment can lead to burnout. Having unclear work expectations, as well as the lack of recognition for doing good work can lead to work related burnout.
A Solution to Burnout
A solution for burnout I recommend to my clients is to get connected to their social circle. When people start to feel burned out, they start to isolate themselves, saying they need time to recover by themselves. Yes, some people do need time to recover by themselves but once they continuously isolate themselves, it becomes a problem. Social connection is connected to your overall health and wellness. When people feel connected, research shows they have lower levels of anxiety and depression. Connectedness can lead to more empathy between people and leads to stronger relationships. Reach out to friends and family when you feel burned out.
Get Online Therapy For Physician Burnout
When you want to work on your physician burnout, get online therapy. Reach out for a free 15-minute consultation. I’m Chris Rabanera. I provide online therapy in California, online therapy in Michigan, and online therapy in Las Vegas. I work with issues such as physician burnout, anxiety, depression, individuals dealing with relationships, and grief counseling.
