Prevalence of burnout in residents of obstetrics and gynecology: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Burnout has currently been a major concern among physicians due to exposing to a high level of stress at work. There are several reports to show various level of burnout in residency program because of several predisposing factors. Since residents of obstetrics and gynecology have intense work demands, limited autonomy, a high degree of interference with work at home and little rest, therefore, this systematic review was undertaken to estimate a more precise the prevalence of burnout among residents in obstetrics and gynecology. International and national electronic databases were searched from 1974 to 2015 including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Science Information Database. All studies, in which the prevalence of burnout among residents in obstetrics and gynecology, were included in this meta-analysis. Twelve studies involving a total of 2509 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Overall prevalence rate of burnout among gynecologists estimated 44 percent (95% CI: 30 - 57). The findings of this meta-analysis showed that the prevalence of the burnout syndrome during obstetrics and gynecology residency seems high. It is recommended to consider and address this important situation for any future solutions and interventions which will improve the work situation of medical residents.