From The Journal of Vascular Surgery
Quotes from
Surgical Personalities, Surgical Burnout, and Surgical Happiness
by Samuel R. Money, MD, FACS, MBA
In his informative article in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, Dr. Samuel R. Money compiles research from several sources to explore the devastating toll professional burnout can take on dedicated surgeons. The word burnout is an overused, misunderstood term first coined in 1974 by Herbert Freudenberger and typically refers to a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion.
Burnout can occur in a variety of environments and circumstances, however it is most commonly associated with the workplace. Research results from Drs. Michael P. Leiter and Christina Maslach point to six sources of burnout at work:
- Lack of Control. Your sense of control over what you do is undermined or limited and you don’t have a lot of say in what’s going on.
- Values Conflict. There is a disconnect between your own core values and the core values of the organization. Many companies flash their mission statements and values on websites and marketing materials, but few actually walk the talk.
- Insufficient Reward. You feel taken for granted, not recognized, and/or undercompensated.
- Work Overload. Your workload is too much, too complex, or too urgent.
- Unfairness. You or others are treated unfairly, there is a culture of favoritism, and assignments and promotions are made in an arbitrary fashion and discussed behind closed doors.
- Breakdown of Community. You have to work with patronizing colleagues, there is no mechanism for conflict resolution, and feedback is non-existent.
Money’s article explores burnout sources specific to surgeons and discusses ways to contain or prevent their damaging impact. This makes it a ‘must-read’ for specialists, residents, and students alike. Quotes from the article include:
Shanafelt and coworkers have looked at surgical burnout extensively. They found that in the general population, 28% of working individuals are suffering from burnout. Surgeons, by comparison, experience burnout at a rate of 53%. This is an increase compared to several years ago, when the rate of surgeon burnout was identified to be 40%.”
Possessing a “surgical personality” and being a surgeon have tremendous rewards. We have unique relationships with patients, we help people, and we can alleviate suffering and cure diseases. We have obtained a high level of trust and respect not only from our patients but also from people in our community and workplace. Yes, we are goal oriented and we are type A. This is what makes us surgeons! These traits, however, can also have negative consequences. Telling our medical colleagues that they do not understand how to manage certain diseases is counterproductive to patient care. Surgeons are poor delegators who tend to be micromanagers and can prioritize tasks poorly. The pursuit of excellence can lead to the quest of perfectionism, which is an impossibility. All of these traits are extreme examples of the very qualities that make good surgeons in the first place.“
It is my belief that occupational burnout and unhappiness are not identical twins; however, they are close siblings. It is important to attempt to define and evaluate happiness and examine the possibility of being happy despite our predispositions toward burnout.“
Read the full article!