“From Exhaustion to Invigoration”: a mixed-methods study exploring the role of a community in supporting resilience of pediatric education leaders

OBJECTIVES: It is critical to identify factors in the work environment that contribute to physician burnout to foster a professional culture that nurtures wellness. This study examined the prevalence of burnout symptoms among a group of Canadian pediatric undergraduate education leaders and explored how membership in a national community (Paediatric Undergraduate Program Directors of Canada, PUPDOC) may serve as a potential mitigating factor. METHODS: This mixed-methods study involved a survey and subsequent focus groups of PUPDOC members. Survey comprised questions from the Maslach burnout index (MBI) adapted for the educational context. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A qualitative descriptive approach was selected and focus group transcripts were analyzed using content analysis. Themes were generated that relate to PUPDOC's role in shaping members' educational and academic work. RESULTS: Sixteen members completed the survey (16/23, 70%). On the traditional MBI screen, three of 16 participants scored high-risk for burnout, but none reported high levels of symptoms on the adapted questions. Eighteen members participated in focus groups. Themes were interrelated, and included the significance of a sense of community, strengths and stressors of the job, finding meaning in one's work, opportunities, and legitimacy associated with belonging to a group. CONCLUSIONS: Our small group of pediatric undergraduate education leaders demonstrated a relatively low burnout rate compared to published rates in physician colleagues. We propose a sense of community that transcends institutions may help to mitigate burnout. By encouraging membership in such organizations, academic institutional leadership can support resilience and invest in the wellbeing of their education leaders.