Diplomate Spotlight Opening Doors with Board Certification: A Conversation with Long Standing Diplomate Joseph Cook Read Opening Doors with Board Certification: A Conversation with Long Standing Diplomate Joseph Cook
Phoenix Newsletter - July 2025 Available Now: 2026 5-Year Cycle Registration Read Available Now: 2026 5-Year Cycle Registration
Home Research Research Library Lower Likelihood of Burnout Among Family Physicians From Underrepresented Racial-Ethnic Groups Lower Likelihood of Burnout Among Family Physicians From Underrepresented Racial-Ethnic Groups 2021 Topic(s) Role of Primary Care PURPOSE We investigated whether physician race and ethnicity were associated with burnout among a nationally representative sample of family physicians.METHODS We undertook a cross-sectional observational study using survey data from 1,510 American Board of Family Medicine recertification applicants in 2017 and 1,586 respondents to the 2017 National Graduate Survey. Of the 3,096 total family physicians, 450 (15%) were from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in medicine. We used structural equation models to test the effects of underrepresented status on single-item measures of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.RESULTS Family physicians underrepresented in medicine were significantly less likely than their non-underrepresented counterparts to report emotional exhaustion (adjusted odds ratio = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.69-0.99; total effect) and depersonalization (adjusted odds ratio = 0.54; 95% CI, 0.41-0.71; total effect). The underrepresented physicians were more likely than non-underrepresented peers to practice in more racially and ethnically diverse counties and less likely to practice obstetrics, both of which partly mediated the protective effect of underrepresented status on depersonalization.CONCLUSIONS Although factors such as racism might be expected to adversely affect the well-being of underrepresented clinicians, underrepresented family physicians reported a lower frequency of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. The mediating protective effect of working in more racially and ethnically diverse counties is consistent with evidence of the beneficial effect of cultural diversity on health outcomes for minorities. Because physician burnout is a known predictor of job turnover and may also be associated with poorer quality of care, the lower burnout observed among underrepresented family physicians may be an asset for the health care system as a whole. Read More ABFM Research Read all 2024 Electronic Health Record Usability, Satisfaction, and Burnout for Family Physicians Go to Electronic Health Record Usability, Satisfaction, and Burnout for Family Physicians 2003 Computer-based testing in family practice certification and recertification Go to Computer-based testing in family practice certification and recertification 2023 Foundational Collective Actions for Achieving Agile High-Quality Primary Care in the United States Go to Foundational Collective Actions for Achieving Agile High-Quality Primary Care in the United States 2013 The redistribution of graduate medical education positions in 2005 failed to boost primary care or rural training Go to The redistribution of graduate medical education positions in 2005 failed to boost primary care or rural training
ABFM Research Read all 2024 Electronic Health Record Usability, Satisfaction, and Burnout for Family Physicians Go to Electronic Health Record Usability, Satisfaction, and Burnout for Family Physicians 2003 Computer-based testing in family practice certification and recertification Go to Computer-based testing in family practice certification and recertification 2023 Foundational Collective Actions for Achieving Agile High-Quality Primary Care in the United States Go to Foundational Collective Actions for Achieving Agile High-Quality Primary Care in the United States 2013 The redistribution of graduate medical education positions in 2005 failed to boost primary care or rural training Go to The redistribution of graduate medical education positions in 2005 failed to boost primary care or rural training
2024 Electronic Health Record Usability, Satisfaction, and Burnout for Family Physicians Go to Electronic Health Record Usability, Satisfaction, and Burnout for Family Physicians
2003 Computer-based testing in family practice certification and recertification Go to Computer-based testing in family practice certification and recertification
2023 Foundational Collective Actions for Achieving Agile High-Quality Primary Care in the United States Go to Foundational Collective Actions for Achieving Agile High-Quality Primary Care in the United States
2013 The redistribution of graduate medical education positions in 2005 failed to boost primary care or rural training Go to The redistribution of graduate medical education positions in 2005 failed to boost primary care or rural training