One thousand and seventy-three students answered the survey. Descriptive data relating to personal information can be found in Additional file 4. Almost 75% participants were women, nearly 88% participants felt vocation for medical studies, and 85% participants felt high family support for studying medicine. About 86% students were less than 24 years old, most people (63%) who answered the survey were between third and fifth year and 87% students answering the survey had been studying medicine for 5 years or less.
The five medical schools with more answers to the survey were the University of Cantabria (n = 197), the University of Alcala (n = 173), the University of Navarra (n = 154), the University of Barcelona (n = 86), and the University of Granada (n = 72).
Burnout subscales means ± standard deviations were 14.8 ± 7.1 for depersonalization, 27.5 ± 7.2 for exhaustion and 22.4 ± 6.9 for academic efficacy, as displayed in Table 1. They were all three positively correlated with each other (Additional file 5).
Table 1
Results of burnout scales
| Mean ± sd | Median (IQR) |
Depersonalization | 14.83 ± 7.09 | 14.1 (8.67–19.56) |
Exhaustion | 27.50 ± 7.16 | 28.3 (22.89–33.00) |
Academic Efficacy | 22.38 ± 6.89 | 22.3 (17.67–26.22) |
As it is showed in Table 2, 68.6% participants suffered high or very high levels of exhaustion, 25% participants suffered high or very high levels of depersonalization and 13.7% of participants suffer high or very high levels of deterioration in their academic efficacy.
Table 2
Burnout level | Burnout scale |
Exhaustion (5–40) n (%) | Depersonalization (4–32) n (%) | Academic Efficacy (6–48) n (%) |
Very low | 15 (1.4) | 243 (22.6) | 64 (6.0) |
Low | 50 (4.7) | 194 (18.1) | 222 (20.7) |
Medium | 272 (25.3) | 368 (34.3) | 636 (59.3) |
High | 570 (53.1) | 213 (18.9) | 147 (13.7) |
Very high | 166 (15.5) | 55 (5.1) | 4 (0.4) |
Table 3 displays the association between burnout scales and categorical variables. Women reported higher levels of exhaustion, while students declaring to study medicine due to vocation reported lower levels of burnout in depersonalization and academic efficacy scales. The year of the medical degree correlated positively with higher levels of exhaustion and depersonalization, and negatively with academic efficacy levels.
Table 3
Categorical variables associated with burnout levels
Variable | Category | n | Burnout Levels |
Exhaustion | Depersonalization | Academic Efficacy |
Mean ± Sd | p | Mean ± Sd | p | Mean ± Sd | p |
Sex | Male | 266 | 26.1 ± 7.7 | < 0.001 | 15.5 ± 7.5 | 0.07 | 21.9 ± 7.5 | 0.25 |
Female | 804 | 27.9 ± 6.9 | 14.6 ± 6.9 | 22.5 ± 6.7 |
Vocation | No | 130 | 28.2 ± 7.1 | 0.27 | 16.7 ± 7.4 | 0.001 | 24.3 ± 7.3 | < 0.001 |
Yes | 943 | 27.4 ± 7.2 | 14.6 ± 7 | 22.1 ± 6.8 |
Year of the medical degree | 1 | 167 | 25.5 ± 7.0 | < 0.001 | 11.4 ± 5.9 | < 0.001 | 21.2 ± 6.4 | 0.002 |
2 | 123 | 25.9 ± 7.1 | 13.6 ± 6.8 | 22.3 ± 7.5 |
3 | 225 | 27.1 ± 6.9 | 13.7 ± 6.4 | 21.4 ± 6.6 |
4 | 200 | 28.2 ± 7.1 | 16.1 ± 7.3 | 23.6 ± 6.7 |
5 | 254 | 29.0 ± 7.0 | 16.7 ± 7.3 | 23.2 ± 7.0 |
6 | 104 | 28.6 ± 7.4 | 17.3 ± 7.1 | 22.4 ± 7.1 |
Age and number of years studying the medical degree were related to higher levels of burnout in the three scores (Figs. 1a and 1b, respectively), and family support protects against higher levels of burnout in the three subscales (Fig. 1c).
Table 4 shows the results of the multiple regression carried out between the personal variables and the three subscales of burnout. Relating to exhaustion subscale, women scored 2.04 points more on average (95% CI: 1.08–3.01, p < 0.001), each year studying medicine increased exhaustion by 1.05 points (95% CI: 0.34–1.76, p = 0.004) and family support for studying medicine decreased exhaustion by 0.35 points (95% CI: -0.56 - -0.13, p = 0.002). The remaining variables (age, year of the degree and vocation when entering the degree) were far from statistically significant.
Table 4
Factors that influence exhaustion, depersonalization, and academic efficacy subscales.
| | Exhaustion | Depersonalization | Academic efficacy |
| Coef. | 95% CI | p value | Coef. | 95% CI | p value | Coef. | 95% CI | p value |
Age | 0.13 | -0.15 | 0.40 | 0.36 | 0.14 | -0.13 | 0.4 | 0.31 | 0.08 | -0.18 | 0.35 | 0.54 |
Woman | | 2.04 | 1.08 | 3.01 | < 0.001 | -0.52 | -1.45 | 0.4 | 0.27 | 0.79 | -0.14 | 1.73 | 0.10 |
Year of the degree | -0.49 | -1.21 | 0.24 | 0.19 | -0.56 | -1.25 | 0.13 | 0.11 | -1.40 | -2.14 | -0.74 | < 0.001 |
Years studying Medicine | 1.05 | 0.34 | 1.76 | 0.004 | 1.44 | 0.76 | 2.11 | < 0.001 | 1.56 | 0.88 | 2.24 | < 0.001 |
Family Support | -0.35 | -0.56 | -0.13 | 0.002 | -0.52 | -0.73 | -0.31 | < 0.001 | -0.40 | -0.63 | -0.21 | < 0.001 |
Vocation | -0.77 | -2.06 | 0.51 | 0.24 | -1.83 | -3.06 | -0.60 | 0.004 | -2.40 | -3.59 | -1.11 | < 0.001 |
Number of years studying medicine was also associated with higher levels of depersonalization burnout (1.44 points more per year, 95% CI: 0.76–2.11, p < 0.001), while family support (-0.52 points, 95% CI: -0.73 - -0.31, p < 0.001) and vocational studies (-1.83 points, 95% CI: -3.06 - -0.60, p = 0.004) decreased depersonalization.
Regarding academic efficacy burnout, number of years studying medicine was the only factor associated with higher burnout level (1.56 points per year, 95% CI: 0.88–2.24, p < 0.001) while year of the degree (-1.40 points per year, 95% CI: -2.14 - -0.74, p < 0.001), family support (-0.40 points, 95% CI: -0.63 - -0.21, p < 0.001) and vocational studies (-2.40 points, 95% CI: -3.59 - -1.11, p < 0.001) were related to lower levels of burnout.