Bulletin: Not All Physicians Are Burning Out (and Many Are Actually Happy in Their Jobs!)

Many media outlets (including this one) have sounded the alarm that there’s a burnout crisis going on among American healthcare providers. And it’s true—but it’s not necessarily the whole story, as revealed in a new study of 5,000 physicians by the American Academy of Family Physicians. A sizeable majority (71%) report being “happy” in their professional lives, with 59% saying they are satisfied with their lives in general. The work-related complaints they do have are familiar: not enough control, too much paperwork, and lack of person-to-person interaction with patients. Work relationships are a factor, too; physicians who reported having many friends in the workplace were more likely to be highly satisfied with their lives in general. Only 39% of physicians who have “no friends” at work made that claim.