Burnout: Comparative Study between House Officers and Final Year Medical Students across Gender and Sector

Background& Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the burnout in house officers and medical students of final year in public and private sector of Lahore. Additionally the current study aims to find out the gender differences and sector wise differences on the variable of burnout. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Place & duration of study: Public and private medical colleges and hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan. The duration of the study was from March 2017 to Dec 2017. Methods: The sample of 240 participants(120 final year MBBS students & 120 house officers) having age range of 22 to 25 years of age was selected from public and private sector.For assessment purpose demographic form and the abbreviated nine items inventory “abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)" was used for the measurement of burnout among medical students and house officers. Results: Findings of current study revealed more "depersonalization" (t (238) = 3.14, p<.05) and more "personal accomplishment"(t (238) = 4.24.p<.05) on the sub-scales of burnoutin house officers as compared to the final year medical students. No significant gender differences were revealed. Further sector wise analysis showed interesting findings that participants from public sector showed more "personal accomplishment" (t (238) = .029, p<.05) than their counterparts from private sector, but revealed no significant differences on other subscales of burnout of "emotional exhaustion” and “depersonalization". Conclusion: This study highlighted that house officers are suffering more from "depersonalization” which indicates lack of commitment, distancing from patients, and handling of the patients as inanimate objects. This study also revealed that public sector house officers and final year students showed more personal accomplishment which represents high sense of efficacy, commitment and capacity to involve, change and improve than their counter parts in private sector