The health and wellbeing of junior doctors: insights from a national survey.
Junior doctors face specific pressures related to their professional stage and development and can be at risk of poor health. A confidential survey conducted in 2008 by the Australian Medical Association Council of Doctors in Training investigated the health and wellbeing of junior doctors. There were 914 completed surveys: 71% of junior doctors were concerned about their own health, and 63% about the health of a colleague. A majority of junior doctors met well established criteria for low job satisfaction (71%), burnout (69%) and compassion fatigue (54%). The early stages of a medical career are demanding, and the health and wellbeing of junior doctors must be a personal priority, as well as the responsibility of the medical profession in general, to ensure a healthy medical workforce in the future.
Markwell
Alexandra L
AL
Australian Medical Association Council of Doctors in Training, Canberra, ACT, Australia. alexmarkwell@optusnet.com.au
Wainer
Zoe
Z
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance