The State of Physician Burnout in 2025

About half of doctors struggle with burnout, a slight improvement from five years ago. What factors relate to physician burnout, and what are providers doing to improve their well-being?

Let’s look at the state of physician burnout in 2025, using some key takeaways from Medscape’s latest report on Physician Mental Health & Well-Being. 

What is physician burnout? 

Physician burnout is a long-term stress reaction that causes providers to lose satisfaction and a sense of efficacy in their work. 

Psychologist Christina Maslach first defined three diagnostic symptoms of physician burnout in the 1970s:

• Exhaustion: You experience emotional and physical fatigue and think, “I’m not sure how long I can keep doing this.”
• Compassion fatigue: You are frustrated by patients and have thoughts like, “I can’t believe they talked to me that way.”
• Lack of efficacy: You begin to doubt that you are making a difference and wonder, “What’s the use?”

Burnout symptoms can be emotional, physical, or behavioral. You might feel less interested in work, experience tiredness that doesn’t go away with rest, or withdraw from community involvement. 

If you or your colleagues are experiencing burnout, you might benefit from AMA’s recovery plan for physician burnout. If you are depressed, talk to your healthcare provider or seek mental health support. 

Physician burnout in 2025

Each year, Medscape releases a report about physician mental health and burnout. Here are five interesting takeaways from the 2025 report, which surveyed over 5,000 US-based physicians in 29+ specialties. You can download the full report from Medscape.com.

1. 47% of physicians are burned out

In recent surveys, 47% of doctors say they feel burned out, and 6% feel depressed. These numbers are a slight improvement from recent years and track with AMA data showing burnout rates have improved from 62% in 2021 to 48% in 2023

2. Two-thirds of doctors would trade better balance for lower pay

The share of physicians who would hypothetically trade more personal time for a smaller paycheck has increased to 63% in 2025. In past surveys, around half of respondents said this tradeoff would be worth it.

3. 7 in 10 physicians say personal health is important

Around 7 in 10 physicians say they treat their health and wellness as “important” or a “top priority.” But the other 30% say this doesn’t get enough of their attention. Doctors of different generations answered this question similarly, but women are slightly more likely to say they don’t focus enough on themselves. 

4. Three-quarters of doctors believe happiness is attainable

It’s a common stereotype that work-life balance is incompatible with the medical profession. However, about three-quarters of doctors think happiness and balance are attainable. This doesn’t mean they believe physicians will break away from the grind, but most think they can. 

5. Outside interests and hobbies are key

Nearly 9 in 10 doctors say that activities like reading, cooking, and gardening are important for their happiness and mental health. As one ob/gyn told Medscape, “Exercise regularly and have a hobby outside of work that brings you joy.”

Doctors also said they value vacations, exercise, personal and family time, and eating well–-an important, if unsurprising, list of well-being strategies. 

What solutions help doctors cope with burnout? 

If you experience burnout, you can learn from other physicians' solutions and coping mechanisms. In a previous Medscape report, doctors listed unhealthy coping mechanisms such as eating junk food, binge eating, or drinking alcohol. While some physicians use these tactics, most reported healthy coping behaviors such as: 

• Spending time with family/friends (78%)
• Activities/hobbies (71%)
• Exercise (50%)
• Getting enough sleep (51%)
• Healthy eating (48%)

Workplace measures also have an essential role to play in alleviating physician burnout. Providers say the most helpful actions would be increased compensation, adding support staff, and making work schedules more flexible. Recent improvements in burnout rates suggest that employers may be taking note.

‍