Assessing Burnout and Interest in Wellness Programs in Physician Assistant Students

Abstract

Burnout among health care professionals and preprofessional health care students is of growing concern because of its detrimental effects on performance, mental health, and physical health. Research to date has focused primarily on physicians and medical students. The purpose of this study was to assess burnout and the quality of life among physician assistant (PA) students and gauge their interest in specific wellness interventions that address those issues in their PA program. An online survey consisting of validated measures for burnout and quality of life was completed by 320 PA students from all 8 Virginia PA programs (n = 8). Additionally, student interest in various wellness interventions was assessed, including preferences for timing and delivery, to inform development of a tailored well-being component in the PA curriculum to reduce burnout. We found burnout to be prevalent among PA students, with 79.69% reporting high levels of emotional exhaustion; 56.56% of students met the criteria for cynicism. Survey participants rated stress reduction (n = 290, 90.63%) and burnout (n = 299, 93.44%) as primary issues that need to be addressed in the PA student population. Furthermore, 77.50% of participants expressed interest in participating in a wellness intervention designed to reduce burnout. Given the high prevalence of burnout in the PA students surveyed, resources and potential interventions that reduce burnout need to be identified. The current study identified PA students' perceived needs and interest in various aspects of potential wellness interventions in the PA program. Students preferred an emphasis on stress reduction and burnout, which can be used to develop a tailored well-being curriculum to promote work-life balance and stress management for PA students.