Burnout Among Medical Students: A Comparison Between Those Interested in Surgical Subspecialties and Non-Surgical Fields

Objectives: Burnout is a chronic state of emotional exhaustion from prolonged stress, characterized by fatigue, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. Surgery shows higher burnout rates among residents and attendings but whether burnout precedes or results from the field is unclear. This is the first study to compare burnout levels between medical students interested in surgical versus non-surgical fields. Methods: This study evaluates students at an accredited US medical school. A web-based questionnaire was administered in two parts: career characteristic preferences and burnout assessment using the Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey. Students were surveyed at three time points: before second year (pre-M2), after second year (post-M2), and after third year (post-M3). Kruskal-Wallis and Mann Whitney tests were performed to assess statistical differences between students interested in surgical and non-surgical specialties over time and between groups at each timepoint, respectively. Results: A total of 138 surveys were completed: 53 pre-M2, 50 post-M2, and 35 post-M3. Among these, 44 responses were from the same participants at multiple timepoints. Of the 94 unique participants, 44 were interested in surgical specialties and 50 were interested in non-surgical fields. Significant differences rated on a Likert scale emerged in career priorities between surgical and non-surgical students in personality fit (5.5 vs. 6.2, p=0.001), training length (3.9 vs. 5.1, p<0.0001), work-life balance (5.1 vs. 6.2, p<0.0001), and burnout potential (4.7 vs. 5.5, p=0.005). However, burnout measures showed no significant change over time within or between groups across pre-M2, post-M2, and post-M3 surveys. The only significant difference found was in professional efficacy after the third year (3.4 vs. 4.5, p=0.024) between the two groups. Conclusion: It is established that burnout rates are high among surgical residents and attending surgeons. While this study has certain limitations, burnout levels among students were found to remain consistent throughout medical school, regardless of specialty interest. This suggests increased burnout among surgeons may begin after committing to a surgical specialty rather than reflecting a pre-existing predisposition among preclinical medical students interested in surgery. However, the precise timeline and progression of burnout remain unclear and warrants further investigation.