In a recent survey of active-duty U.S. military orthopedic surgeons, 33% met the criteria for burnout based on scores from the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), a standard measure of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal achievement. Burnout rates among U.S. Physicians continue to rise at an alarming pace. For military orthopedic surgeons, unique challenges of deployment, relocation, and collateral duties amplify the strain of an already demanding field. This lack of stability has proven to contribute significantly to burnout. When healers become exhausted, the impact extends beyond the operation room (OR), it reaches every patient whose life depends on their precision, focus, and care. Burnout in these physicians is not just a personal battle but a systemic risk to the quality of military medical care.
Recognizing the growing toll on those holding the scalpel, researchers aimed to better understand the extent of this issue with the military orthopedic community. The first step to recovery began with a voluntary anonymous 64 question survey administered to all members of the Society of Military Orthopedic Surgeons (SOMOS) in order to gauge the burnout rate in the military-medicine community. Members included in this analysis were active duty U.S. military residents, HPSP residents, fellows, and attending surgeons. It was found that rates not only affect surgical precision, but also surgeon’s mental and physical wellbeing, proving a surgeon’s accuracy and skills are based on many factors beyond their hands. Recovery is lacking in orthopedics military-medical departments, burnout rates are a large threat to this practice; a change is needed. This is when the Society of Military Orthopedic Surgeons and the Department of Defense decided to not only acknowledge this medical crisis, but to prioritize it through a series of solutions to avoid physician burnout including: mental health screenings, structured rest rotations, and peer support systems to sustain both surgeon wellness and mission effectiveness.
SOMOS has reported a measurable decline in burnout indicators among the surveyed surgeons, along with higher self-reported job satisfaction and surgical performance confidence. When mental health and decompression resources are prioritized early on, both surgeons and patients see the impact: reduced exhaustion-related errors and improved retention rates across the orthopedic department. These incredible outcomes show wellness and recovery are not just a morale boost, they are tools which directly impact surgical and personal quality in the OR and life. More than a personal comeback, this is a mission to protect those who serve by protecting those who heal. As more resources like these advance, this Combat to Comeback becomes more than just statistics, it becomes the standard. Military-medicine orthopedic surgeons must heal themselves before healing others, for it is their duty to themselves and the nation they serve.
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