Burnout in the Surgical Culture: Exploring Inciting Factors and Promoting Possible Interventions

Purpose of Review: Physician burnout has been directly tied to poor patient outcomes and financial loss, and the surgical field is associated with a relatively higher rate of burnout compared to other specialties. Surgeon burnout is thus a public health issue that needs to be explored and addressed. Recent Findings: Multiple factors in the surgical culture contribute to burnout, including the workplace environment, demands of patient care, and ingrained mindsets and expectations. Broadly, these can be grouped into physical, mental, and emotional insults. Previously, the focus on how to reduce surgeon burnout is by changing one aspect of the problem at an individual level. Recently, proposals to create a multipronged approach have predominated, highlighting that a culture shift is needed for lasting change. Summary: The term burnout is ubiquitous, but its causes vary amongst persons. Future research needs to focus on creating individualized multifaceted plans.