Why are so many physicians burning out, and how can we break the cycle?

Whether you’re experiencing burnout yourself or supporting a team, I hope this episode resonates and offers some useful perspectives.

Dr Atanda, welcome to Visionary Voices.

Dr Atanda: Thanks so much for having me, Nicky. I appreciate the opportunity.

Nicky: We’re talking about a really important topic today, physician burnout. But before we get into that, I’d love to hear about your journey into medicine.

Dr Atanda: Sure. I come from a West African immigrant family and was born and raised in New Jersey. I’m the youngest of seven children and in our family, everything revolved around education. My older siblings pursued PhDs, JDs, MBAs, all of that. I wanted to be part of that group and since I loved science and working with my hands, surgery felt like the right path.

I trained in orthopedic surgery then did subspecialty training in pediatric orthopedics and sports medicine. I now work at a children’s hospital where I operate on young athletes — ACL reconstructions, shoulder and elbow surgeries — mostly patients under the age of 21.

Nicky: Interesting. I was a gymnast growing up. I’m amazed I never ended up with a serious injury given how clumsy I am.

Dr Atanda: We treat a lot of gymnasts actually. The most common issues are elbow injuries from tumbling and constant weight bearing through their arms, which isn’t something the human body was designed to do. It’s amazing what they can accomplish safely. It is very rewarding to help them recover and return to sport.

Nicky: It must be an incredible feeling to help a young athlete get back to doing what they love. But I imagine it’s hard watching your own kids take risks when you know what can go wrong.

Dr Atanda: Exactly. When my kids were little and playing on the monkey bars or swings, it gave me real anxiety. It’s tough as a parent who sees injuries like that every day. Knowing too much can be a double-edged sword.

Nicky: What do you enjoy most about your role now?

Dr Atanda: When I first started, I thought it was the surgeries — fixing knees or fractures. But over time I realized what really motivates me is the connection with families. After a surgery, I go to the recovery room and see the parents reunited with their child. There’s this moment of relief and gratitude in their eyes when they realize everything went well. That moment is what drives me. Surgery is the tool that gets us there, but the connection is the reward.

Nicky: That’s beautiful. And that brings us to today’s focus. I looked up the definition of burnout, which describes it as physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. But from your perspective, what does burnout feel like?

Dr Atanda: Burnout is a spectrum. It’s not something you either have or don’t. Some days you feel it more than others. The most prominent feeling is being trapped.

In healthcare, most systems are fee for service. You exchange your time and energy for money, but both are finite. Eventually, you run out of both. And if your life changes — as mine did when I got divorced — you realize the system doesn’t adjust with you. You still have to trade time for income, but your capacity changes. There’s very little flexibility, and even fewer alternative ways to be valuable. That’s when burnout really sets in.

Nicky: That feeling of being stuck must be devastating, especially after years of training. It’s clearly not a lack of resilience.

Dr Atanda: Absolutely. Physicians are incredibly resilient. But other factors make burnout worse. First, the regulatory burden — security, privacy, compliance — none of it makes our jobs easier. Then there’s the administrative overload. It’s not clinical work, it’s paperwork.

We’re also not taught crucial non-medical skills — communication, leadership, emotional regulation. We show up in real-world, high-pressure environments without the tools we need to succeed as people not just clinicians.

Nicky: So it’s not just workload — it’s the lack of preparation for real-life interaction. In other industries, people are trained in those “soft skills.”

Dr Atanda: Exactly. And calling them “soft” minimizes their importance. I prefer “human skills.” In med school, they were optional and non-graded. We prioritized memorizing biochemistry and anatomy. I didn’t realize how important leadership and emotional intelligence would be until I was deep into practice.

Nicky: And when those skills are missing in leaders, the culture suffers.

Dr Atanda: It does. Burnout is contagious. A surgeon who’s cynical or angry can bring down an entire team. That negativity spreads. Nurses become hardened. Everyone’s just trying to survive the day.

Nicky: It’s a cycle. And sadly, medical education often skips those foundational human skills.

Dr Atanda: And the focus tends to be on individual resilience — go do yoga, meditate, be mindful. Those things help, but if you’re returning to a toxic system, they’re not enough. Burnout is a system problem that shows up in individuals.

Nicky: Right. And it’s not just about those who leave medicine — it’s also about those who stay but are miserable.

Dr Atanda: Exactly. Some physicians stick around, but their burnout affects everyone around them. They’re curt, disconnected. They harm culture, morale and ultimately patient care. But because they bring in revenue, the system tolerates it.

Nicky: At Touch, we focus a lot on scientific education. But there’s clearly a gap — very little content is focused on these human skills.

Dr Atanda: It’s the missing piece. Burnout doesn’t just affect the doctor — it affects patient safety, satisfaction and retention. And now that there are financial implications, healthcare systems are starting to pay attention.

Nicky: It’s encouraging to know your role exists — Director of Clinician Well-being. Is this becoming more common?

Dr Atanda: It is, though slowly. At Nemours, we also have a Chief Well-being Officer who oversees enterprise-wide staff well-being. I focus specifically on clinicians — doctors, surgeons and PAs. I work on the ground with them to improve their work environments and connect them with the right resources.

Nicky: And I imagine a lot of the burden is administrative — the things that get in the way of meaningful patient care.

Dr Atanda: Exactly. And many physicians don’t even realize how many unnecessary burdens they’ve normalized. We call them “workarounds” — inefficient processes we’ve learned to accept.

Nicky: So how do you begin to change that system? Is it even possible?

Dr Atanda: It is, but it takes time. You start with small wins — easy, high-impact changes that reduce friction. You build momentum. You give clinicians a voice, connect them with decision-makers and make sure they don’t carry the burden of fixing the system on their own. We also need new payment models, better use of AI and digital tools and a culture that prioritizes clinician well-being, not just revenue.

Nicky: That sounds like an enormous task but such an important one. Thank you for sharing so much today.

Dr Atanda: Thank you for the conversation. It was a pleasure to be here.

Nicky: And thank you to our listeners for joining us. Don’t forget to subscribe to Visionary Voices on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or Podbean.

Until next time, goodbye.