Determining the Prevalence of Burnout Among Medical Students Using Maslach Burnout Inventory: A Cross-sectional Study

Burnout is relatively frequent among medical students and has a major impact on mental health. We aimed to determine the prevalence of burnout among medical students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS).  It was a cross-sectional study conducted at TUMS. All medical students at the university entrance (first semester), beginning of the clerkship, beginning of the internship, and end of the internship (graduation time) were enrolled. Maslach`s Burnout Inventory for Students (MBI-SS) was used to assess the prevalence of burnout. Chi-square test and Kendal tau_c test were utilized to compare subscales and curricular phases. 668 students participated in the study. The prevalence of burnout was 24.1% which was significantly higher at the end of their internship. 65% of the students had high emotional exhaustion, 75.4% had high cynicism, and 37% had low academic efficacy. There was no association between gender and burnout. The prevalence of burnout among medical students was slightly higher than expected, and interns faced burnout more frequently. Further studies to assess the potential predisposing factors of burnout and appropriate strategies to reduce its burden seem to be mandatory.