Dr. Ken’s Corner: An Epidemic of Physician Burnout: Myth or Reality?

Talk about physician burnout is rampant. Yet a majority of 4,600 physicians surveyed by Medscape say they’re generally happy with their lives.  Nearly 75% of doctors, whether self-employed or employed by others, expressed overall satisfaction with their work-life balance and income.  Twenty percent were “neutral” while only 8% of employed doctors and 7% of those self-employed said they were dissatisfied with their situation.

On a personal note, conversations with my medical colleagues support these findings. The biggest concern, especially among employed physicians, is the loss of autonomy and a lesser role in decision-making. However, it appears that the so-called “burnout” we hear so much about is more myth than reality.

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