“Or [if] they’re doing something else unrelated to medicine to keep them mentally safe,” says Dr. Iyer. “I think that plays a huge role in promotion of well-being and minimizing burnout.”
Burnout was noted in 42.2% of women and 33.0% of men in the survey, whereas 45.4% of men and 34.1% of women met criteria for professional fulfillment. In general, women consistently have higher levels of burnout and lower levels of professional fulfillment than men, says Dr. Ligibel.
“But interestingly, in this survey, there wasn’t very much difference in the likelihood of women vs. men expressing an intention to leave their jobs,” notes Dr. Ligibel.
“In fact, women were actually a bit less likely than men to express an intention to leave,” she says. “So although women may not be as satisfied with their work, they are not necessarily more likely to leave.”
Dr. Iyer notes that her situation has improved over the past three years.
“Our divisional chief has been extremely supportive in helping me build some of the social connections and find an encouraging mentor, which has really made me want to stay,” says Dr. Iyer.
This study is not the first to indicate that a large fraction of physicians in the country are reconsidering remaining at their jobs or in medicine, but it does add another piece to the puzzle of the current and future landscape, notes Dr. Ligibel.
“Given that these data were collected between 2019 and 2021, it may be that some of the older physicians thought about retiring due to the pandemic,” says Dr. Ligibel. “I think there’s a lot of different potential explanations for the high proportion of individuals who expressed an intent to leave, but the bottom line is that a lot of people expressed this. … One-third of the workforce expressing at least a moderate intention to leave within two years … it’s a lot of physicians.”
Researchers continue to collect data from the participating institutions and expect to update information that could be pandemic-related, says Dr. Ligibel.
“One of the other things we’re really interested in doing over time is asking a little bit more about what people plan to do if they’re thinking about leaving,” she says. “Is it to leave medicine? Is it to retire? Is it to go to another institution?”
Information gained from this study and additional research could help the process of building programs that encourage doctors to want to stay in medicine, says Dr. Ligibel. That includes initiatives that cultivate good relationships with their peers and leaders, as well as improving efficiency in the work place.
