Dataset Information

Impostor syndrome and burnout among American medical students: a pilot study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To describe levels of burnout and impostor syndrome (IS) in medical students, and to recognize demographic differences in those experiencing burnout and IS.

Methods

Anonymous survey administered online in 2014 that included demographic data, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and an IS screening questionnaire. Main outcome measures were level of burnout, and presence or absence of imposter syndrome. The presence of IS and burnout components were analyzed across age, gender, race, year of training, intention to pursue fellowship training, and greater than one year of work experience outside of medicine using chi-squared tests. The association between burnout and IS was also compared using chi-squared tests.

Results

One hundred and thirty-eight students completed the questionnaire. Female gender was significantly associated with IS (?²₍₃₎=10.6, p=0.004) with more than double the percentage of females displaying IS than their male counterparts (49.4% of females versus 23.7% of males). IS was significantly associated with the burnout components of exhaustion (?² ₍₂₎=5.9, p=0.045), cynicism (?²₍₂₎=9.4, p=0.004), emotional exhaustion (?²₍₂₎=8.0, p=0.018), and depersonalization (?² ₍₂₎=10.3, p=0.006). The fourth year of medical school was significantly associated with IS (?²₍₃₎=10.5, p=0.015).

Conclusions

Almost a quarter of male medical students and nearly half of female students experience IS and IS was found to be significantly associated with burnout indices. Given the high psychological morbidity of these conditions, this association cannot be ignored. It behooves us to reconsider facets of medical education (i.e. shame-based learning and overall teaching style) and optimize the medical learning environment.

SUBMITTER: Villwock JA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5116369 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Impostor syndrome and burnout among American medical students: a pilot study.

Villwock Jennifer A JA Sobin Lindsay B LB Koester Lindsey A LA Harris Tucker M TM

International journal of medical education 20161031

<h4>Objectives</h4>To describe levels of burnout and impostor syndrome (IS) in medical students, and to recognize demographic differences in those experiencing burnout and IS.<h4>Methods</h4>Anonymous survey administered online in 2014 that included demographic data, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and an IS screening questionnaire. Main outcome measures were level of burnout, and presence or absence of imposter syndrome. The presence of IS and burnout components were analyzed across age, gender, ...[more]

PMID: 27802178

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Relatively little is known about American medical student's attitudes toward caring for the uninsured, limiting physician reimbursement and the role of cost-effectiveness data in medical decision-making. We assessed American medical student's attitudes regarding these topics as well as demographic predictors of those attitudes, and compared them to practicing physicians. METHODS AND FINDINGS:A survey instrument was explicitly designed to compare medical student attitudes with those previously reported by physicians. Between December 1st 2010 and March 27th 2011 survey responses were collected from more than 2% of the total estimated 2010-2011 US medical student population enrolled at 111 of 159 accredited US medical schools within the 50 United States (n = 2414 of possible 98197). Medical students were more likely to object to reimbursement cuts, and more likely to object to the use of cost effectiveness data in medical decision making than current physicians according to the literature. Specialty preference, political persuasion, and medical student debt were significant predictors of health policy attitudes. Medical students with anticipated debt in excess of $200,000 were significantly less willing to favor limiting reimbursement to improve patient access (OR: 0.73 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.59-0.89]), and significantly more likely to object to using cost effectiveness data to limit treatments (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.05-1.60) when compared to respondents with anticipated debt less than $200,000. CONCLUSIONS:When compared to physicians in the literature, future physicians may be less willing to favor cuts to physician reimbursements and may be more likely to object to the use of cost effectiveness data. Political orientation, specialty preference and anticipated debt may be important predictors of health policy attitudes among medical students. Early career medical providers with primary care ambitions and those who anticipate less debt may be more likely to support healthcare cost containment.

Project description:BackgroundAlthough burnout syndrome has been described in numerous research studies, the data on burnout syndrome among medical students in developing countries is scanty. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of high-risk for burnout syndrome and its associated factors among university undergraduate medical students in Serbia.MethodsAn observational, analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey and a survey on associated factors. The research was carried out from February to March 2014. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the adjusted odds ratio (Odds Ratio, OR) with 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI) in order to identify independent correlates of high risk of burnout syndrome.ResultsA high risk for burnout syndrome was noted in 15.0% of respondents; that is, 114/760 medical students suffered from high emotional exhaustion, high cynicism, and low academic efficiency. According to the results of multivariate logistic regression, the main significant independent correlates of high risk for burnout syndrome in medical students were: age of students (for aged 22-24: adjusted OR = 5.64, 95%CI = 2.58-12.34, p < 0.001 for aged ≥ 25: adjusted OR = 5.65, 95%CI = 2.08-15.39, p = 0.001) with p for trend < 0.001, higher frequency of alcohol consumption (for habit 1-2 times a week: adjusted OR = 2.01, 95%CI = 1.01-4.03, p = 0.048) with p for trend = 0.025, and use of sedatives (adjusted OR = 3.44, 95%CI = 1.31-9.04; p = 0.012).ConclusionThe present study identified several factors associated with burnout syndrome in Serbian medical students. Some factors associated with the high risk of burnout syndrome in medical students are modifiable. It is important to carry out similar research on burnout syndrome in the future, especially using longitudinal studies, in order to evaluate the associations found in this cross-sectional study.

Dataset Information

Impostor syndrome and burnout among American medical students: a pilot study.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Impostor syndrome and burnout among American medical students: a pilot study.

Similar Datasets

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