Background:

The number of hospitalists in academic medical centers has grown rapidly. We evaluated the rates of satisfaction and burnout and the predictors and consequences of each in academic hospitalists.

Methods:

We performed a cross‐sectional survey of hospitalists at 17 U.S. medical centers using simple statistics to describe responses and multivariable models to determine factors associated with reports of academic productivity, satisfaction, and burnout.

Results:

Two hundred and sixty‐six of 420 hospitalists (63%) completed the survey. Fifty‐four percent were male, and the majority worked at a university hospital (82%) and had trained in internal medicine (96%). More than half (58%) had practiced in academic medicine fewer than 5 years. Thirty‐three percent, 53%, 10%, and 4% were at the instructor, assistant, associate, and professor rank, respectively. Seventy‐five percent, 54%, and 54% reported being “somewhat satisfied” or “highly satisfied” with their job, the amount of personal time their job allowed, and the amount of control over their work schedule, respectively. Seventy percent, 80%, and 91% viewed their working relationships with consultants, nurses, and the other hospitalists, respectively, as “very good” or “excellent.” Forty‐two percent and 63% indicated “somewhat high” or “high” levels of satisfaction with their hospital administration and division chief support, respectively. Predictors of low job satisfaction included poor consultant relationships (adjusted odds ratio 3.46, 95% Cl 1.60–7.50), low division chief support (3.20, 1.52–6.77), < 20% scholarly protected time (2.75, 1.13–6.69), ≥20% nonteaching time (4.77, 1.69–13.51), and low control over work schedule (5.37, 2.46–11.71). Low job satisfaction was associated with fewer peer‐reviewed first‐author publications (0.53, 0.29–0.97), lower teaching skills confidence (0.25, 0.14–0.47), and not having presented institutional grand rounds (0.43, 0.20–0.93) or a teaching session at a national meeting (0.35,0.15–0.80). Low satisfaction was also associated with a lower academic rank (0.28, 0.15‐0.50). Sixty‐seven percent reported experiencing somewhat high or high levels of stress, and 23% were experiencing burnout. Predictors of burnout included low job satisfaction (3.65,1.69–7.93), poor consultant relationships (2.71, 1.55–3.88), high stress levels (15.08, 4.70–48.40), and low control over work schedule (3.82, 1.77–8.18). Burnout was not associated with decrements in measured markers of academic productivity.

Conclusions:

Academic hospitalists are generally satisfied but experience high levels of stress and burnout. Lack of schedule control, poor consultant relationships, and low division chief support were the strongest predictors of low satisfaction. High stress, less schedule control, and low job satisfaction were most predictive of burnout. Low satisfaction but not burnout correlated with lower academic productivity. Interventions to prevent burnout and improve job satisfaction may enhance academic retention and productivity.

Author Disclosure:

J. Glasheen, none; G. Misky, none; M. Reid, none; R. Harrison, none; B. Sharpe, none; A. Auerbach, none.