Prevalence of burnout in medical students during residency: a global systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18210457Keywords:
Burnout Syndrome, Internship and Residency, Prevalence, Mental Health, Medical EducationAbstract
Introduction: Medical residency is a period of high vulnerability, marked by exhausting workloads and psychological pressures, which favors the development of Burnout Syndrome, an occupational disorder characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low professional accomplishment. Objective: To analyze the overall prevalence and impacts of Burnout Syndrome in medical residents over the last decade (2013-2023). Methods: Systematic review based on the PRISMA protocol, with searches in the PubMed, Embase, Scielo, and Cochrane databases. Quantitative observational studies that evaluated residents from various specialties within the established time frame were included. Results and Discussion: The overall prevalence ranged from 35% to 65%, with higher rates in "frontline" specialties such as Emergency Medicine and Surgery. Excessive workload and low institutional support were identified as the main predictors of burnout. The discussion points out that burnout compromises patient safety, increases medical error rates, and is associated with serious outcomes such as suicidal ideation and erosion of clinical empathy. Conclusion: Burnout in medical residency is a systemic and global phenomenon that requires urgent structural reforms. Protecting the mental health of residents is fundamental to the sustainability of health systems and to guaranteeing humanized and safe medical care.
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