Relationship Between Burnout and Professional Conduct and Attitudes Among US Medical Students

Abstract

CONTEXT: The relationship between professionalism and distress among medical students is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between measures of professionalism and burnout among US medical students. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional survey of all medical students attending 7 US medical schools (overall response rate, 2682/4400 [61%]) in the spring of 2009. The survey included the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the PRIME-MD depression screening instrument, and the SF-8 quality of life (QOL) assessment tool, as well as items exploring students' personal engagement in unprofessional conduct, understanding of appropriate relationships with industry, and attitudes regarding physicians' responsibility to society. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency of self-reported cheating/dishonest behaviors, understanding of appropriate relationships with industry as defined by American Medical Association policy, attitudes about physicians' responsibility to society, and the relationship of these dimensions of professionalism to burnout, symptoms of depression, and QOL. RESULTS: Of the students who responded to all the MBI items, 1354 of 2566 (52.8%) had burnout. Cheating/dishonest academic behaviors were rare (endorsed by