Is someone in your physician family suffering the symptoms of burnout? This quiz may help to provide some guidance. Physicians may fill out this quiz themselves or physician family members may answer the questions based on knowledge and observation of the physician.

It is not uncommon for a busy physician to “miss” or even deny the signs of burnout, while a physician family member may be more aware of warning signs than the physician. This quiz is designed to increase awareness by physicians and their families that professional intervention or additional self-care may be warranted.

DISCLAIMER: This quiz is only for use by adults 18 years or older. This quiz is for informational and entertainment purposes only. This information does not constitute and should not be relied on as professional advice. A trained health care professional should be consulted if burnout is suspected.

Mark the response which best describes the physician in your family:
(Multiple items are listed as “either/or” choices, rather than exclusively. Please use the drop down to select your answers.)

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* 1. Works constantly, takes little or no time for family and friends, and/or when home, isn’t engaged with family members. Seems isolated. Disinterested in social engagement and/or interaction.

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* 2. Problems in personal relationships, serious issues with coworkers, feels misunderstood and/or underappreciated.

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* 3. Lack of compassion and patience for coworkers, patients and family members, overreaction to minor frustrations, prone to angry outbursts.

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* 4. Dreads going to work, discusses work in negative terms or not at all, expresses frustration over workload and/or health records, self-isolating from co-workers, lack of enthusiasm for new patients and/or procedures.

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* 5. Loss of self-esteem, questions training and skill, disproportionately affected by patients’ suffering or loss of life, frustrated about lack of control over professional and/or personal issues, feels trapped.

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* 6. Chronic psychological, emotional or physical fatigue, insomnia, extreme exhaustion at the end of a day, lack of physical and/or emotional energy, increased stress level.

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* 7. Lack of concentration and/or attentiveness.

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* 8. Increased or new use of alcohol and/or drugs, and/or decreased use of healthy coping mechanisms.

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* 9. No longer engages in activities that increase health and wellbeing, such as working out, walking, outdoor activities, relaxation, etc.

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* 10. Talk of giving up medicine and/or retiring early, wishing he or she had chosen another career, concern about not making a difference, increased cynicism.

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* 11. No longer looks forward to planning and/or taking vacations, time off and/or outside-of-medicine activities.

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* 12. Loss of interest in family, financial, and/or retirement planning.

Now, add up the score:

Overall Score: 
Like golf, the lower the points and/or percentage the better. In this case, lower scores indicate that the physician in your family is likely not suffering from a dangerous level of burnout. However, the signs of physician burnout are both gradual and cumulative and should be screened periodically. Physician families play an important role in the detection and prevention of burnout as well as supporting activities that promote physician resilience and well-being.

Green Light (0-12 points or 0-25%) – The physician is likely not suffering from burnout and is probably happy with his or her professional and personal life. Additional self-care and awareness are always valuable; information on how physician families can engage in activities to promote physician resilience can be found in the AMA Alliance Guide to Physician Burnout and How to Effect Change.1 

Yellow Light (13-24 points or 27-50%) – The physician should seek out information on methods of self-care and engage in more activities to increase personal well-being, such as getting more sleep and exercise and engaging in non-medical activities which bring him or her pleasure, especially family activities. The AMA’s Steps Forward Guide to Improving Physician Resiliency2 is a valuable tool, as is the AMA Alliance Guide to Physician Burnout and How to Effect Change.1

Red Light (25-36 points or 52-75%) – The physician should seek assistance from a personal physician or trusted mental health professional, from a local or state medical society, health system, or the state’s Physician Health Program. Important information is also included in AMA’s STEPS Forward Preventing Physician Burnout Module3 and the AMA Alliance Guide to Physician Burnout and How to Effect Change.1

Flashing Red Light (37-48 points or 77-100%) – The physician may be in need of immediate professional intervention from a personal physician or trusted mental health professional, from a local or state medical society, health system, or the state’s Physician Health Program. Important information is also included in AMA’s STEPS Forward Preventing Physician Burnout Module3 and the AMA Alliance Guide to Physician Burnout and How to Effect Change.1

This quiz is not intended to be diagnostic; a trained health care professional should be consulted if burnout is suspected.

Resources:
1. AMA Alliance Guide to Physician Burnout and How to Effect Change
2. AMA’s Steps Forward Guide to Improving Physician Resiliency
3. AMA’s STEPS Forward Preventing Physician Burnout Module
PLEASE NOTE: After you've completed the quiz and have your score, please close this link to go back and analyze your result.

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