Review Article: Physician Burnout in Urology

Introduction: Physician burnout is highly prevalent and impacts the quality of health care in the United States. Methods: The existing literature on physician burnout was reviewed with a focus on burnout among surgeons. Results: Although burnout has not been specifically studied in urologists, many other groups of surgeons have been assessed for burnout. Women and physicians experiencing work/home conflicts seem to be at increased risk for burnout. As the need for urologists increases with an aging patient population and improved access to health care, physician burnout threatens to impact the number of practicing urologists. This issue is especially concerning as the number of women in urology increases because female physicians experience more burnout than their male counterparts. Conclusions: The incidence of burnout in practicing urologists needs to be further studied. While several strategies have been proposed to alleviate physician burnout, additional work is needed to mitigate the risk of burnout.