Orthopedic surgeons are some of the happiest physician specialists outside of the workplace in 2023, according to a Feb. 24 report from Medscape based on a survey of over 9,100 practicing physicians.
About 65 percent of orthopedic surgeons report feeling either happy or very happy outside of work, trailing just two other specialties for the happiest.
While orthopedic surgeons are some of the happiest specialists, they still report burnout, with 43 percent of female surgeons and 29 percent of male surgeons feeling burnt out.
The top contributor to overall burnout was too many bureaucratic tasks for orthopedic surgeons.
About 45 percent of orthopedists believe that COVID-19 somewhat affected their work-life happiness, while 30 percent believe that it impacted their happiness significantly. Only 6 percent said they were not affected at all.
Even among orthopedists who report feeling depressed, over half (53 percent) believe it does not affect their patient interactions.
Orthopedists also have some of the happiest marriages, ranking seventh with 84 percent reporting good or very good relationships.