The Influence of Cognitive and Emotional Biases in Medical Specialty Selection: A Path to Burnout.

IF 1.9 Q2 EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES

Medical Science Educator Pub Date : 2025-03-29 eCollection Date: 2025-06-01 DOI:10.1007/s40670-025-02370-3

Joshua A Daily, Paul J Hartung, William W Maddux

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Physician burnout remains a critical issue in the medical profession. Problems in medical specialty decision-making may contribute to physician burnout. We propose that these problems may stem from two main factors: (a) cognitive and emotional decision-making biases and (b) systemic flaws in medical education that diminish physician autonomy and intrinsic motivation. We first explore the psychological roots of decision-making biases that may contribute to physician burnout. Next, we examine how the medical education system may unintentionally shape students' specialty choices based on limited and variable clinical rotation experiences. Four case studies illustrate these issues. We conclude by outlining strategies to reduce the influence of cognitive and emotional biases and improve the medical specialty selection process to optimize career choices. Given the profound impact of medical specialty choice on long-term physician well-being, its potential role in preventing and buffering the effects of physician burnout demands the attention of medical education faculty, administration, support staff, and students alike. Future research should investigate the effects of specialty choice on physician career development and burnout.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-025-02370-3.

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认知和情绪偏见对医学专业选择的影响：一条通往职业倦怠的路径。

医生职业倦怠仍然是医学界的一个关键问题。医学专业决策中的问题可能导致医师职业倦怠。我们认为这些问题可能源于两个主要因素：(a)认知和情感决策偏见；(b)医学教育的系统性缺陷削弱了医生的自主性和内在动机。我们首先探讨决策偏差的心理根源，这可能有助于医生的职业倦怠。接下来，我们将研究医学教育系统如何根据有限和可变的临床轮转经验无意中塑造学生的专业选择。四个案例研究说明了这些问题。最后，我们概述了减少认知和情感偏见的影响以及改善医学专业选择过程以优化职业选择的策略。鉴于医学专业选择对医生长期幸福感的深远影响，其在预防和缓冲医生职业倦怠方面的潜在作用需要医学教育教师、行政部门、支持人员和学生的关注。未来的研究应进一步探讨专业选择对医师职业发展和职业倦怠的影响。补充资料：在线版本提供补充资料，网址为10.1007/s40670-025-02370-3。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Medical Science Educator Social Sciences-Education

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

11.80%

发文量

202

期刊介绍： Medical Science Educator is the successor of the journal JIAMSE. It is the peer-reviewed publication of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE). The Journal offers all who teach in healthcare the most current information to succeed in their task by publishing scholarly activities, opinions, and resources in medical science education. Published articles focus on teaching the sciences fundamental to modern medicine and health, and include basic science education, clinical teaching, and the use of modern education technologies. The Journal provides the readership a better understanding of teaching and learning techniques in order to advance medical science education.