Burnout among physicians is continuing to decline, but three specialties still have a burnout rate of more than 49%, an American Medical Association survey found.
The AMA’s Organizational Biopsy, published April 16, surveyed nearly 19,000 physicians across 38 states and 106 health systems and organizations in 2025. The survey asked about job satisfaction, job stress, burnout, intent to leave and feeling valued.
In 2025, 41.9% of physicians reported at least one symptom of burnout, down from 43.2% in 2024.
The CMS groupings with the highest burnout rates were OB-GYN (48.7%), surgery specialty (47.8%), hospital based (42.9%), primary care (42.8%), medical specialty (37.9%) and psychiatry (30.5%).
Here are the specialties with the highest and lowest rates of burnout:
Highest
1. Emergency medicine: 49.8%
2. Urological surgery: 49.5%
3. Hematology/oncology: 49.3%
4. Obstetrics and gynecology: 45.7%
5. Radiology: 45.2%
6. Family medicine: 45%
7. General surgery: 43.8%
8. Cardiology: 43.5%
8. Gastroenterology: 43.5%
Lowest
1. Infectious diseases: 23.3%
2. Ophthalmology: 25.8%
3. Pathology: 28.3%
4. Nephrology: 29.3%
5. Dermatology: 31.5%
6. Psychiatry: 31.6%
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