Job Satisfaction Among Young Board-Certified Surgeons
Job Satisfaction Among Young Board-Certified Surgeons
Objectives: To identify independent factors influencing job satisfaction of academic surgeons within their first 10 years after board certification.
Background Data: Job satisfaction is increasingly recognized as a crucial factor for high performance of individuals and teams in most organizations. Sophisticated tools are now available to assess job satisfaction in medicine.
Methods: A survey among 439 faculty surgeons from 16 European countries, United States, and Canada was conducted in 2011. Satisfaction at work was analyzed using the validated Global Job Satisfaction (GJS) instrument (score range, −36 to +36), modified to an extended version (eGJS) (score range, −87 to +87) covering additional personal and environmental factors. Independent factors were identified with multiple logistic regression analysis.
Results: Response rate was high at 59% (439/744). Median age of responders was 39 years, with 17% women. North American surgeons scored higher on the eGJS when compared with Europeans (median: 21 vs. 33, respectively, P < 0.001). The surgical specialty with the highest median eGJS score was colorectal, whereas general surgery scored lowest (median: 33 vs 7, respectively, P = 0.002). On multivariate analysis, independent factors of high job satisfaction included protected time for research (odds ratio [OR]: 9), good team relationship (OR: 7), female sex (OR: 5), having a partner (OR: 4), feeling enthusiastic about work (OR: 4), being pleased with life accomplishments (OR: 4), having the standard of living one deserves (OR: 3), and clinical autonomy (OR: 3). In contrast, independent predictors of poor job satisfaction were feeling frustrated by work (ie, a burnout item) (OR: 37), worrying about per-sonal life at work (OR: 3), and having to work too many weekends (OR: 3).
Conclusions: Satisfaction in young faculty members mostly relates to research opportunities, clinical autonomy, burnout, and lifestyle. Understanding satisfaction factors may improve productivity and competence.
There is strong evidence that the number of surgeons in practice will not meet demand in most Western countries in the near future. The current lack of motivated medical students interested in a surgical career will lead to an imbalance between the numbers of surgeons reaching retirement and the availability of young new surgeons. In this context, job dissatisfaction among surgeons in training (residents) and young faculties may aggravate the situation because it may not only lead to burnout and dropouts but also project a poor image to medical students contemplating a surgical career and society as a whole.
In addition, the surgical field, particularly at academic centers, is currently facing a number of contradictory challenges. On one hand, there is a continuous need for the development of innovative and sophisticated therapies, often resulting in complex surgery, whereas on the other hand, there is a growing push to maximize the use of ambulant surgery to lower cost. Also, a reality at most institutions is that the patient population is continuously aging and therefore sicker, requiring increased knowledge and time to offer the best treatment. This need is challenged by increasing legal limitation of working hours during surgical education and even for board-certified physicians. Despite these difficulties, some surgeons experience excellent job satisfaction whereas others do not. Therefore, further understanding of key factors determining job satisfaction in surgery could help enhance the work-life balance of surgeons and improve both surgical training and patient care.
We recently completed an international survey assessing trainee satisfaction during surgical residency, highlighting a striking dissatisfaction rate of 31%. Surprisingly, comprehensive data on job satisfaction of the young academic board-certified surgeons are lacking. A few studies on physicians, including surgeons, have assessed either partial domains of job satisfaction, such as working hours, career choice, depression, and burnout, or rather general concepts such as quality of life. Some of these surveys might be criticized by using nonvalidated instruments to measure the degree of job satisfaction.
Greater job satisfaction among young surgeons may not only make them "happier" but also impact on the quality of patient care, patient satisfaction, and hospital costs. There is evidence to suggest that high job satisfaction is associated with fewer medical errors. We therefore designed a study to assess job satisfaction among young academic board-certified surgeons in several European countries and North America, with the aim of identifying factors associated with the greatest impact on career satisfaction. We targeted only surgeons working in academic or affiliated centers and considered several surgical subspecialties.
Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Objectives: To identify independent factors influencing job satisfaction of academic surgeons within their first 10 years after board certification.
Background Data: Job satisfaction is increasingly recognized as a crucial factor for high performance of individuals and teams in most organizations. Sophisticated tools are now available to assess job satisfaction in medicine.
Methods: A survey among 439 faculty surgeons from 16 European countries, United States, and Canada was conducted in 2011. Satisfaction at work was analyzed using the validated Global Job Satisfaction (GJS) instrument (score range, −36 to +36), modified to an extended version (eGJS) (score range, −87 to +87) covering additional personal and environmental factors. Independent factors were identified with multiple logistic regression analysis.
Results: Response rate was high at 59% (439/744). Median age of responders was 39 years, with 17% women. North American surgeons scored higher on the eGJS when compared with Europeans (median: 21 vs. 33, respectively, P < 0.001). The surgical specialty with the highest median eGJS score was colorectal, whereas general surgery scored lowest (median: 33 vs 7, respectively, P = 0.002). On multivariate analysis, independent factors of high job satisfaction included protected time for research (odds ratio [OR]: 9), good team relationship (OR: 7), female sex (OR: 5), having a partner (OR: 4), feeling enthusiastic about work (OR: 4), being pleased with life accomplishments (OR: 4), having the standard of living one deserves (OR: 3), and clinical autonomy (OR: 3). In contrast, independent predictors of poor job satisfaction were feeling frustrated by work (ie, a burnout item) (OR: 37), worrying about per-sonal life at work (OR: 3), and having to work too many weekends (OR: 3).
Conclusions: Satisfaction in young faculty members mostly relates to research opportunities, clinical autonomy, burnout, and lifestyle. Understanding satisfaction factors may improve productivity and competence.
Introduction
There is strong evidence that the number of surgeons in practice will not meet demand in most Western countries in the near future. The current lack of motivated medical students interested in a surgical career will lead to an imbalance between the numbers of surgeons reaching retirement and the availability of young new surgeons. In this context, job dissatisfaction among surgeons in training (residents) and young faculties may aggravate the situation because it may not only lead to burnout and dropouts but also project a poor image to medical students contemplating a surgical career and society as a whole.
In addition, the surgical field, particularly at academic centers, is currently facing a number of contradictory challenges. On one hand, there is a continuous need for the development of innovative and sophisticated therapies, often resulting in complex surgery, whereas on the other hand, there is a growing push to maximize the use of ambulant surgery to lower cost. Also, a reality at most institutions is that the patient population is continuously aging and therefore sicker, requiring increased knowledge and time to offer the best treatment. This need is challenged by increasing legal limitation of working hours during surgical education and even for board-certified physicians. Despite these difficulties, some surgeons experience excellent job satisfaction whereas others do not. Therefore, further understanding of key factors determining job satisfaction in surgery could help enhance the work-life balance of surgeons and improve both surgical training and patient care.
We recently completed an international survey assessing trainee satisfaction during surgical residency, highlighting a striking dissatisfaction rate of 31%. Surprisingly, comprehensive data on job satisfaction of the young academic board-certified surgeons are lacking. A few studies on physicians, including surgeons, have assessed either partial domains of job satisfaction, such as working hours, career choice, depression, and burnout, or rather general concepts such as quality of life. Some of these surveys might be criticized by using nonvalidated instruments to measure the degree of job satisfaction.
Greater job satisfaction among young surgeons may not only make them "happier" but also impact on the quality of patient care, patient satisfaction, and hospital costs. There is evidence to suggest that high job satisfaction is associated with fewer medical errors. We therefore designed a study to assess job satisfaction among young academic board-certified surgeons in several European countries and North America, with the aim of identifying factors associated with the greatest impact on career satisfaction. We targeted only surgeons working in academic or affiliated centers and considered several surgical subspecialties.
