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“Burnout in Medical Oncology Fellows: a Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study in Brazilian Institutions”

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Abstract

Burnout syndrome is a common occurrence among oncologists. Doctors enrolled in residency programs in clinical oncology are exposed to similar risk factors; however, few data are available in this population. This study assessed the occurrence of burnout and associated factors among first-year residents at Brazilian institutions. The present prospective, multicenter, cohort study was conducted with doctors enrolled in residency programs in clinical oncology at Brazilian institutions affiliated with the public health system. The participants answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Lipp’s Stress Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), upon admission to the program and 6 and 12 months later. Of 37 eligible residency programs in 2009, 11 (30.6 %) agreed to participate in the study. Fifty-four residents, representing 100 % of new admissions to the participating institutions, were included. Most of the participants met the criteria for severe burnout upon admission to the residency programs (emotional exhaustion in 49.0 % and depersonalization in 64.7 %). The scores on MBI domains emotional exhaustion and depersonalization increased significantly (p < 0.01) during the first year of residency, and the prevalence of burnout increased to 88 % at the end of that first year. The present study found a high prevalence of burnout among doctors enrolled in residency programs in clinical oncology at Brazilian institutions. A large fraction of the participants met the criteria for burnout syndrome upon admission to the program, which suggests that the problem began during the course of the previous residency program in internal medicine.

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Financial Support

Department of Oncology and Hematology, ABC Foundation School of Medicine (Academic founding without profit intentions).

Conflict of Interest

The corresponding author (Daniel I G Cubero) has full control of all primary data and he agrees to allow the journal to review the data if requested. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology and Hematology, ABC Foundation School of Medicine, 821 Av Principe de Gales, Anexo 3, Santo André, SP, 09060-650, Brazil

    Daniel I. G. Cubero & Auro del Giglio

  2. Sírio Libanês Hospital, 91 Rua Dona Adma Jafet - Bela, 01308-050, São Paulo, Brazil

    Renata Rego Lins Fumis

  3. School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, 715 Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 01255-000, São Paulo, Brazil

    Thiago Hérick de Sá

  4. AC Camargo Hospital, 211 Rua Professor Antônio Prudente, 01509-010, São Paulo, Brazil

    Aldo Dettino

  5. UNICAMP, State University of Campinas, 126 R. Tessália Vieira de Camargo, FCM 9, 13083-887, Campinas, Brazil

    Felipe Osório Costa

  6. Arnaldo Vieira de Carvalho Cancer Institute, 66 Largo do Arouche, 01219-011, São Paulo, Brazil

    Brigitte M. R. H. Adam Van Eyll

  7. Amaral Carvalho Foundation, 122 Rua das Palmeiras, n.122, 17210-120, Jaú, Brazil

    Carlos Beato

  8. Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, 3900 Av. Bandeirantes, 14048-900, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

    Fernanda Maris Peria

  9. Saint Raphael Hospital, 619 Alameda das Samambaias, casa 50, 41650-230, Salvador, Brazil

    Augusto Mota

  10. São José do Rio Preto School of Medicine, 1118 Rua Presciliano Pinto, 15025-100, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil

    José Altino

  11. Clinical Hospital of Porto Alegre, 2350 Rua Ramiro Barcelos, Prédio 21- 2° andar, 90035-903, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Sérgio Jobim Azevedo

  12. Cancer Institute of Ceará, R. Papi Júnior, 60351-010, Fortaleza, Brazil

    Duílio Reis da Rocha Filho

  13. Santa Izabel Hospital, 500 Praça Conselheiro Almeida Couto, 40050-410, Salvador, Brazil

    Melba Moura & Álvaro Edson Ramos Lessa

Authors
  1. Daniel I. G. Cubero
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  2. Renata Rego Lins Fumis
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  3. Thiago Hérick de Sá
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  4. Aldo Dettino
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  5. Felipe Osório Costa
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  6. Brigitte M. R. H. Adam Van Eyll
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  7. Carlos Beato
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  8. Fernanda Maris Peria
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  9. Augusto Mota
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  10. José Altino
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  11. Sérgio Jobim Azevedo
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  12. Duílio Reis da Rocha Filho
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  13. Melba Moura
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  14. Álvaro Edson Ramos Lessa
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  15. Auro del Giglio
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel I. G. Cubero.

Additional information

This article was translated from Portuguese to English by American Journal Experts. Previous presentations: 2013 Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology Meeting in Brasilia - Brazil - Oral Presentation.

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Cubero, D.I.G., Fumis, R.R.L., de Sá, T.H. et al. “Burnout in Medical Oncology Fellows: a Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study in Brazilian Institutions”. J Canc Educ 31, 582–587 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-015-0850-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-015-0850-z

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