Preventing Physician Burnout

Burnout has increased at a disproportionate rate in US clinicians compared to the general working population. It is a significant issue that warrants further attention.

• It is estimated that 39% of US physicians meet symptoms for depression.
• The suicide rate among physicians is 2 times higher than the general population.
• There are multiple contributing factors to burnout. As medical science has improved, as we’ve had advances in care, there has also been more pressure put on clinicians in terms of
  • Patient access
  • Patient satisfaction
  • The electronic medical record
• At Stanford, we’ve created a wellness program for our residents:
  • If we can cultivate a sense of wellness early on in people’s training, then that can carry over into doctors’ careers. 
  • We recognize that not many people are fortunate enough to create something like this, nor have many clinicians had exposure to wellness programs.
• I want to people to know that they can incorporate wellness into their lives and at least become more aware of the importance of improving their work-life balance.