Surgeon Workload High with Many Feeling Overburdened

A national survey reveals that the median scheduled workload for surgeons is over 68 hours per week, with 58% reporting this as excessive, which has implications for workforce planning and surgeon well-being.

• Only 36.6% of surgeons found their workload manageable, highlighting a potential risk to patient safety and surgical outcomes.
• Perceived burden correlates with cumulative workload, years in practice, female gender, and specific subspecialties like pediatric surgery (OR 5.19) and urology (OR 3.85).

Surgeons may need to reevaluate work-life balance and consider the implications of excessive workload on performance and mental health.