The physical and psychological demands of the profession make physicians more vulnerable to high levels of stress. But how do doctors treat stressed patients when they experience burnout themselves? In India, the doctor-to-patient ratio is 1 to 1600, which is 600 more patients per doctor than the WHO recommendations. This number in itself is stressful. Add to this a few other factors like long working hours, no work-life balance, back-to-back surgeries, and fear of litigations, and you have the perfect recipe for stress.
Burnout is prevalent among resident doctors as well as faculty. Studies show that 50-76% of resident doctors are stressed. This number varies for different specialties. Burnout is defined as “a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who work with people in some capacity.” It is considered…
