The Pathology Within: Burnout, Wellness & The Search For Meaning

Physician wellness and burnout is the new epidemic in health. By some estimates, 30% to 68% of physicians are experiencing symptoms of burnout, and it exceeds any other professional group. The ramifications of burnout include a 1 in 4 probability of the physician leaving their work situation in the ensuing three years, not to mention the risk of intemperate drug use or suicide, explained Stanford physician and best-selling author Dr. Abraham Verghese at the recent CAP17 meeting in the Washington, DC, area, where he was the meeting’s Spotlight Speaker. In this CAPcast interview, Dr. Verghese delves deeper into what’s driving physician burnout, the impact, and what, if anything, can be done to reverse burnout.