A Longitudinal Study Exploring Learning Environment Culture and Subsequent Risk of Burnout Among Resident Physicians Overall and by Gender

Objective: To explore the relationship between learning environment culture and the subsequent risk of developing burnout in a national sample of residents overall and by gender.

Methods: From April 7 to August 2, 2016, and May 26 to August 5, 2017, we surveyed residents in their second (R2) and third (R3) postgraduate year. The survey included a negative interpersonal experiences scale (score range 1 to 7 points, higher being worse) assessing psychological safety and bias, inclusion, respect, and justice; an unfair treatment scale (score range 1 to 5 points, higher being worse), and two items from the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Individual responses to the R2 and R3 surveys were linked.

Results: The R2 survey was completed by 3588 of 4696 (76.4%) residents; 3058 of 3726 (82.1%) residents completed the R3 survey; and 2888 residents completed both surveys. Women reported more negative interpersonal experiences (mean [SD], 3.00 [0.83] vs 2.90 [0.85], P<.001) and unfair treatment (66.5% vs. 58.7%, P<.001) than men at R2. On multivariable analysis, women at R3 were more likely than their male counterparts to have burnout (odds ratio, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.48; P=.03). Both men and women who reported more negative interpersonal experiences at R2 were more likely to have burnout at R3 (odds ratio, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.52; P<.001). The factors contributing to burnout did not vary in effect magnitude by gender.

Conclusion: These findings indicate women residents are more likely to have burnout relative to men in the third year of residency. Negative culture predicted subsequent burnout 1 year later among both men and women. Differences in burnout were at least partly due to differing levels of exposure to negative interactions for men versus women rather than a negative interaction having a differential impact on the well-being of men versus women.