Looking for solutions to physician burnout in other professions

In light of the fact that many doctors report experiencing burnout, Stanford researchers interviewed people in other professions to see how they and their organizations foster professional wellness on the job.

Physician burnout in the United States may have passed its high-water mark. According to a survey conducted by Tait Shanafelt, MD, director of Stanford’s WellMD Center, doctors were doing a little better in 2017 than in 2014. Even so, they’re worse off than people in other professions. In 2017, about 44 percent of doctors surveyed indicated they experienced at least one symptom of burnout, while only about a quarter of other professionals said the same.

Postdoctoral scholar Rachel Schwartz, Ph.D., and her colleagues at the School of Medicine decided to look for some solutions outside the health care field. They interviewed 30 people in non-medical jobs that require interpersonal connection—salespeople, firefighters,…