LAUSR

BACKGROUND Physician burnout is intimately associated with institutional losses, substance abuse, depression, suicidal ideation, medical errors, and lower patient satisfaction scores. OBJECTIVES By directly sampling all U.S. plastic and reconstructive surgery residents, this study examined burnout, medical errors, and program-related factors. METHODS Cross-sectional study of data collected from current U.S. plastic and reconstructive surgery residents at ACGME-accredited programs during the 2018-2019 academic year. Previously validated survey instruments included the Stanford Professional Fulfillment and Maslach Burnout Indices. Additional data included demographics, relationship status, program-specific factors, and admission of medical errors. RESULTS One-hundred-forty-six subjects responded. Residents from each post-graduate year in the first six years were well-represented. Overall burnout rate was 57.5%, and on average, all residents experienced work exhaustion and interpersonal disengagement. No relationship was found between burnout and age, gender, race, relationship status, or PGY level. Burnout was significantly associated with respondents who feel they matched into the wrong program, would not recommend their program to students, do not feel involved in program decisions, reported increasing hours worked in the week prior, feel that they take too much call, reported making a major medical error that could have harmed a patient, or reported making a lab error. CONCLUSION This study directly examined burnout, self-reported medical errors, and program suitability in U.S. plastic and reconstructive residents using validated scales and suggests that burnout and some medical errors may be related to program-specific, modifiable factors, not limited to, but including involvement in program-related decisions and call structure.