Prevalence and Predictors of Burnout Among Resident Family Physicians

Background and Objectives: Resident burnout may affect career choices and empathy. We examined predictors of burnout among family medicine residents. Methods: We used data from the 2019–2021 American Board of Family Medicine Initial Certification Questionnaire, which is required of graduating residents. Burnout was a binary variable defined as reporting callousness or emotional exhaustion once a week or more. We evaluated associations using bivariate and multilevel multivariable regression analyses. Results: Among 11,570 residents, 36.4% (n=4,211) reported burnout. This prevalence did not significantly vary from 2019 to 2021 and was not significantly attributable to the residency program (ICC=0.07). Residents identifying as female reported higher rates of burnout (39.0% vs 33.4%, AOR=1.29 [95% CI 1.19–1.40]). Residents reporting Asian race (30.5%, AOR=0.78 [95% CI 0.70–0.86]) and Black race (32.3%, AOR=0.71 [95% CI 0.60–0.86]) reported lower odds of burnout than residents reporting White race (39.2%). We observed lower rates among international medical graduates (26.7% vs 40.3%, AOR=0.54 [95% CI 0.48–0.60]), those planning to provide outpatient continuity care (36.0% vs 38.7%, AOR=0.77 [95% CI 0.68–0.86]), and those at smaller programs (31.7% for <6 residents per class vs 36.3% for 6–10 per class vs 40.2% for >10 per class). Educational debt greater than $250,000 was associated with higher odds of burnout than no debt (AOR=1.29 [95% CI 1.15–1.45]). Conclusions: More than one-third of recent family medicine residents reported burnout. Odds of burnout varied significantly with resident and program characteristics.

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