Burnout among Physicians — a 21st Century U.S. Epidemic

By Peter Schnall, MD, MPH**

I first became aware of the issue of burnout as an epidemic among physicians a few years ago when I went to see my internist for my annual medical checkup. Knowing that I was a physician who worked as an occupational health researcher investigating work stress and health, my internist asked me about the latest news about burnout. We had a discussion about burnout before he inquired about my health or examining me. I learned quickly that my doctor knew more about physician burnout than I did, and he said it…