Objective: Burnout has been associated with decreased job performance in non-surgical professions and may be partly influenced by emotional intelligence (EI). We evaluated whether burnout was associated with emotional intelligence and job performance in surgical residents.
Methods: General surgery residents at a single institution were surveyed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and trait EI questionnaire. Burnout was defined as scoring above pre-defined levels in at least two of the three measured components of burnout: exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Job performance was evaluated using faculty evaluations of clinical competency-based surgical milestones and standardized test scores including the American Board of Surgery In-Training Exam (ABSITE) and the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Statistical comparison was made using Pearson correlation and simple linear regression adjusting for PGY level.
Results: Forty residents participated in the survey (response rate 77%). Ten residents, evenly distributed from PGY 1 to PGY 5, were found to have burnout. Burnout was associated with global EI (p=0.02). Each component of burnout was associated with global EI, with the strongest correlation being with personal accomplishment (r=0.64; p<0.01). Burnout was not associated with USMLE Step 1 (p=0.12), Step 2 (p=0.56), Step 3 (p=0.97), or ABSITE percentile (p=0.33) scores. None of the sixteen surgical milestone scores were significantly associated with burnout.
Conclusion: Burnout was associated with emotional intelligence. There was no association of burnout with USMLE scores, ABSITE percentile or surgical milestones. Traditional methods of assessing resident performance may not be capturing these factors, which are critical for ensuring successful careers.
