Beyond Burnout: How Surgeons Can Reclaim Their Time and Purpose

We surgeons love our profession. Yet more than 40% of surgeons experience burnout. As a surgeon coach, burnout has become the most common issue I help clients address. So, let’s talk about that.

Shanafelt et al. Ann Surg. 2009 first brought to our attention the magnitude of the problem. Of the 24,000 surgeons surveyed, over 60% did not think their work schedule allowed for enough personal or family time.

When I work with surgeons experiencing burnout, I first ask them to step back and identify what they value most in life. I then suggest they rank those values.
Then we ask:

Does the way you spend your time reflect those values?

What can reasonably be relinquished?
Where can you become more efficient?
Which committee is it time to leave?
Are you making time for your family, exercise, hobbies, or the activities that bring you joy?

Once their plates have been cleared of unnecessary tasks or unfulfilling positions, we then examine how one got there in the first place.

Do they believe they must always say “yes”? Most do!
Do they believe they must overachieve in whatever they undertake? Most do!
Are they taking care of their health and well-being? Many are not!

And, slowly, we address the myths that they have created: that they must say yes, they must be superhuman, and they can tough it out through anything, even at their own expense.

Instead, we work on having them be the creator and director of their own lives. We imagine together what an ideal work-life balance would look like. And we begin to create and change all that will grant them fulfillment and a sense of well-being going forward.

Addressing burnout is not simply about working fewer hours. It is about living more intentionally.

When surgeons align their life with their values, remarkable change becomes possible. I've watched colleagues move from exhaustion and despair to renewed purpose, fulfillment, and genuine joy.