Surgeon Distress as Calibrated by Hours Worked and Nights on Call

BACKGROUND: The relationships of working hours and nights on call per week with various parameters of distress among practicing surgeons have not been previously examined in detail. STUDY DESIGN: More than 7,900 members of the American College of Surgeons responded to an anonymous, cross-sectional survey. The survey included self-assessment of their practice setting, a validated depression screening tool, and standardized assessments of burnout and quality of life. RESULTS: There was a clear gradient between hours and burnout, with the prevalence of burnout ranging from 30% for surgeons working 80 hours/week (p 80 hours/week reported a higher rate of medical errors compared with those who worked 80 hours/week or had >2 nights on call/week would not become a surgeon again (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Number of hours worked and nights on call per week appear to have a substantial impact on surgeons, both professionally and personally. These factors are strongly related to burnout, depression, career satisfaction, and work and home conflicts.