Ob.gyns. are in the middle of the pack when it comes to physician happiness both in and outside the office, according to Medscape’s 2020 Lifestyle, Happiness, and Burnout Report.
About 28% of ob.gyns. reported that they were very happy at work, and 54% said that they were very happy outside of work, according to the Medscape report. Dermatologists were most likely to be happy at work at 41%, and rheumatologists were most likely to be happy outside of work at 60%.
The rate of burnout was higher in ob.gyns. than in physicians overall at 46% versus 41%; notably, 19% of all ob.gyns. reported being both burned out and depressed. The most commonly reported reasons for burnout were too many bureaucratic tasks (57%), increased time devoted to EHRs (36%), and insufficient compensation/reimbursement (35%).
The most common ways ob.gyns. dealt with burnout was by isolating themselves from others (50%), exercising (49%), and talking with friends/family (44%). About 48% of ob.gyns. took 3-4 weeks of vacation, slightly more than the 44% average for all physicians; 32% took less than 3 weeks’ vacation.
About 15% of ob.gyns. have contemplated suicide, and 1% have attempted suicide; 80% have never contemplated suicide. Only 21% reported that they were currently seeking or planning to seek professional help for symptoms of burnout and/or depression, with 63% saying they would not consider and had not utilized professional help in the past.
The Medscape survey was conducted from June 25 to Sept. 19, 2019, and involved 15,181 physicians.