Author information

1 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 130 Mason Farm Road, Bioinformatics Building, CB #7080, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7080, USA. edward_barnes@med.unc.edu.

2 Multidisciplinary Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. edward_barnes@med.unc.edu.

3 Division of Gastroenterology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.

4 Department of Medicine, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, 2002 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.

5 Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endoscopy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

6 Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.

Abstract

Burnout is a critical issue among physicians, including gastroenterologists. Up to 50% of gastroenterologists have reported symptoms of burnout in national assessments, leading to increased recognition of the burden of burnout among subspecialty societies. Particularly alarming in these assessments of burnout is the suggestion of increased rates of burnout among trainees and early career gastroenterologists. In this article, we describe the scope of burnout among young gastroenterologists and the risk factors that contribute. In addition, we will offer practical solutions to reduce burnout based on insights developed from multidisciplinary approaches, including relevant burnout literature, organizational approaches within academic medical centers, and training programs, as well as interviews with successful private practice gastroenterologists, and leaders in the fields of business and education.