Specialty differences in resident resilience and burnout - A national survey

Background: Burnout is widespread among resident physicians, but higher resilience is associated with lower burnout. This study characterizes the relationship between resilience and burnout in medical (MR) and surgical (SR) resident physicians. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to all ACGME-accredited residency programs with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results: Of the 682 respondents, both Medical and Surgical Residents with higher resilience had lower burnout. Higher resilience was seen in Surgical Residents who were men, had greater family support, more residency program support, and enjoyed greater autonomy. Burnout was greater in women, Caucasians, those in an academic setting, and with less autonomy and program support. Burnout was similar among the medical and surgical groups, but surgical trainees had higher resilience. Overall, family and institutional support was associated positively with high resilience and decreased burnout. Conclusions: Increasing resilience and program support can decrease burnout, especially for high-risk subgroups.