Measuring burnout and professional fulfillment among emergency medicine residency program leaders in the United States: a cross-sectional survey study

OBJECTIVE: Emergency medicine (EM) physicians face high burnout rates, even in academic settings. Research on burnout among EM residency program leaders is limited, despite their role in shaping the training environment and influencing resident well-being. This study aims to measure burnout and professional fulfillment among EM residency program leaders and identify contributing factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using the adapted Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index was conducted in 2023 to assess burnout and professional fulfillment among EM residency program leaders at US programs. The survey, tailored to EM leaders, was distributed to all current EM program directors (PDs) and assistant/associate PDs (APDs) from accredited US programs. Descriptive statistics and odds ratios were used to compare burnout and professional fulfillment across various groups. RESULTS: A total of 112 of 281 PDs (response rate, 39.9%) and 130 of 577 APDs (response rate, 22.5%) participated. Professional fulfillment was reported by 59.8% of PDs and 58.5% of APDs. Burnout was experienced by 42.0% of PDs and 26.9% of APDs. Higher professional fulfillment correlated with alignment with expectations, positive work environments, and perceived appreciation, while burnout was strongly associated with negative impacts on personal health and relationships. Approximately 27.7% of PDs and 23.8% of APDs expressed an intention to leave their current position within 18 months. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of US EM residency program leaders experience burnout and low professional fulfillment. Addressing well-being in this population has important implications for education and mentorship provided to future physicians in the field.