While the majority (86.7%) of physician assistants reported satisfaction with their career choice in 2024, there is still a slight increase in burnout symptoms among PAs across all specialties.
The finding is from the latest specialty report from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, released July 29. Nearly 150,000 PAs provided responses for at least part of the report.
Here are PA burnout rates across 14 ASC specialties, according to the report.
Note: PAs rated their level of burnout based on a validated single-item measure. The percentages below reflect the percentage of PAs in each specialty reporting at least one symptom of burnout. Percentages reflect the distribution within the specialty.
Gastroenterology: 38.5%
Neurosurgery: 34.6%
Neurology: 33.8%
Urology: 33.2%
Obstetrics and gynecology: 32.3%
Cardiothoracic and vascular surgery: 32%
Pain medicine: 31.7%
Cardiology: 31.4%
Orthopedic surgery: 29.2%
Otolaryngology: 29%
General surgery: 28.3%
Plastic surgery: 27.7%
Physical medicine/rehabilitation: 26.8%
Dermatology: 26.1%