Gender differences in residents’ duty-hours, aspects of burnout, psychological well-being

Editor's Note

Female general surgery residents work more, experience aspects of burnout more frequently, and have poorer psychological well-being, this study finds.

Of  7,395 residents surveyed (response rate, 99%), females reported:

• more frequently staying in the hospital >28 hours or working >80 hours per week
• more frequently feeling fatigued and burned out
• less frequently “treating patients as impersonal objects” or “not caring what happens” to them
• more frequently experiencing aspects of poor psychological well-being.

Qualitative themes identified−such as lack of female mentorship/leadership, dual-role responsibilities, gender blindness, and differing pressures and approaches to patient care−provide insights into cultural and programmatic shifts to address female resident concerns, the authors note.