Burnout has become one of the biggest threats to the future of independent medicine. Physicians across private practices report rising mental, physical, and emotional strain that affects their confidence, their energy, and the way they move through each day.

Recent findings from Tebra’s 2025 Physician Burnout Survey reflect this reality. More than one in three physicians report current burnout symptoms, and many have been struggling for a year or longer.

Burnout is not simply a sign of being tired. It develops from documentation demands, patient complexity, administrative load, technology frustrations, staffing shortages, compensation pressure, and the challenges involved in getting paid. These pressures shape daily work and pull physicians away from the patient care they hoped to provide.

If you're a physician, you may recognize how easily these responsibilities expand. Tasks that were once small often turn into hours of work that sit outside patient care, leaving many feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from the parts of the job they value most.

This article explores what the survey shows about burnout in private practices and includes the words of physicians who described how it affects their work. It offers a clearer look at the pressures behind this exhaustion and the changes that can help make daily work feel more manageable.

Burnout shows up in different ways for physicians, but one pattern is clear across private practices: the exhaustion lasts far longer than many expect. The survey reveals that for a large share of physicians, burnout can last one to two years or more, a duration that reshapes how they approach their work and time. 

Dr. Soma Mandal, medical director of Women’s Health at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, notes how what's often missing in burnout conversations is duration. "This isn’t a bad month or a tough season — many physicians have been operating in this state for years," she says. "At that point, burnout becomes the background noise of the workday, and that’s when it’s most dangerous.”

Kristin Trick, a mental health practitioner and private practice owner, explains that burnout often goes unnoticed because many physicians are conditioned to prioritize others’ needs over their own. For many, acknowledging burnout feels especially risky when their income supports an entire household.

"If we're the breadwinner for our household, we can deny burnout symptoms — because to accept them means we may soon be out of work with no paycheck to bring home," Trick shares.

Instead of describing burnout as frustration or stress, many physicians point to a deeper kind of fatigue that reaches their thinking, emotional capacity, and physical energy. When asked what symptoms they experienced in the past year, the responses centered on forms of fatigue rather than detachment or cynicism.

Most common symptoms:

These findings show that many practitioners remain deeply committed to patient care, even as they work with far less emotional and cognitive reserve. This kind of strain often changes how the day feels long before it changes how the work gets done.

"My brain is filled with details about clients, past and present, who've invested in me some of their deepest secrets, fears, and regrets," Trick notes. "I can't forget this information and still safeguard disclosures made from clients I last saw 10 years ago."

The symptoms clinicians describe — mental fog, emotional strain, and physical fatigue — show up in small moments throughout the day. Tasks that once felt simple require more concentration. The rhythm of the work feels less steady. Even brief pauses between patients can feel heavier than they used to.

The impact is often quiet but noticeable. It changes how practitioners move through their schedules, how quickly they reset between visits, and how much energy they have left by the end of the day. These shifts matter because they reveal where the strain is accumulating and help explain why burnout continues to build beneath the surface.

"I usually have about 5 minutes between counseling sessions, which isn't enough time to fully reset," Trick says. "I've learned to compartmentalize sessions in order to be ready for my next client."

Burnout often begins in the routine parts of a workday. Small tasks add time, interruptions stretch longer, and administrative needs grow faster than support systems. Over weeks or months, this creates steady pressure that many clinicians recognize long before they name it as burnout.

When physicians were asked to identify the single factor that contributes most to their burnout, the answers pointed to practical, everyday challenges rather than personal limits.

(% who selected each as their #1 driver):

These numbers paint a clear picture of where burnout tends to begin. The highest-ranked causes appear across nearly every part of a clinic’s routine, shaping how the work feels long before symptoms become obvious. They also help explain why different specialties experience burnout in such distinct ways.

Trick recounts her experience with "difficult" patients regarding their attitudes towards sessions or payments, and how both types intensify her workload in a manner she's not willing to tolerate. "I now ask screening questions before setting an intake, monitor new clients' interactions, and keep a small caseload to protect myself and my practice from this burden," she shares.

The data also reveals clear demographic differences. Burnout does not land evenly across all physicians. Some groups feel the strain more sharply, particularly when it comes to emotional and mental fatigue. 

Women in the survey reported higher rates of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion, and were more likely to note a loss of motivation or interest in their work. Men were more likely to report no symptoms at all. 

Why does this matter?

These differences highlight a pattern that echoes in many different settings: emotional exhaustion is the central thread connecting most burnout experiences. When combined with documentation demands and patient-related pressures, the load can compound quickly.

"Generally speaking, women have a natural inclination and ability for nurturing," Trick shares. "We care with our whole being, which gives us a lower threshold for burnout."

Mandal shares a similar sentiment about the added level of burnout for women. "Women physicians often carry an added layer of invisible labor — emotional availability, caregiving expectations, and the pressure to ‘hold it together’ for everyone else," Mandal says. "That cumulative load shows up as deeper mental and emotional exhaustion, not because women are less resilient, but because they’re often giving more of themselves across every part of the day.”

Understanding who feels burnout most intensely helps clarify where the pressure builds first, and why addressing the underlying causes matters just as much as recognizing the symptoms.

Burnout may be widespread, but it doesn’t look the same in every corner of medicine. As we already touched on, many of the pressures behind burnout are shared — documentation, patient demands, staffing gaps, and administrative requirements — but how those pressures combine varies from one specialty to another. Each field carries its own mix of emotional, clinical, and operational strain, and the survey results make those differences clear.

Below is a closer, high-level look at how burnout appears across the six specialties in this study.

Primary care and family medicine practitioners report some of the highest levels of mental and emotional fatigue. Their days are shaped by full schedules, complex cases, and substantial documentation needs. Much of their work involves managing ongoing conditions, coordinating care, and making decisions without much time to pause or reset.

Many in this group also shared that they feel less comfortable talking openly about burnout. When clinicians feel unable to name the strain they’re carrying, the work can start to feel isolating. Even familiar parts of the job — a backlog of notes, a growing patient panel, or a steady inbox — can feel heavier when they’re handled alone.

For many in this specialty, burnout shows up in the quiet moments between visits: the late-evening chart, the quick shift from one complex case to another, or the constant effort to stay emotionally present despite limited time. It becomes noticeable not because of any single event, but because the pace rarely lets up.

Burnout in emergency medicine has a distinct intensity. Clinicians in this field reported the highest levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization in the survey. The pace of their environment — rapid decisions, unpredictable cases, and high-stakes interactions — leaves very little room to recover during or after a shift.

Emergency clinicians often move from one urgent situation to the next without a natural pause. Patient encounters can be chaotic and emotionally charged, requiring constant vigilance. Over time, this level of sustained attention creates a kind of mental wear that many clinicians described as difficult to shake, even after leaving the hospital.

Many respondents in this group also said they have felt burned out for one to two years or longer, suggesting a form of strain that becomes embedded over time. Staffing shortages and heavy caseloads often mean taking on responsibilities beyond what the system is built to support.

Here, burnout is closely tied to the environment itself, the noise, the urgency, the unpredictability, and the ongoing need to stay alert in situations that demand emotional and cognitive intensity from the moment a shift begins.

Mental health clinicians carry a uniquely heavy emotional and cognitive load. Therapists reported the highest levels of mental fatigue, physical fatigue, and loss of motivation in the survey. Every session requires sustained focus, active listening, and emotional presence. When schedules are full or caseloads are complex, maintaining that level of engagement becomes increasingly difficult.

Therapists often hold place for trauma, grief, crisis, or chronic emotional challenges. The work demands a kind of steady, internal effort that may not be visible to others but accumulates with each appointment. For many, the strain comes from transitioning repeatedly into emotionally charged conversations without much time to decompress.

"It's heart-wrenching to listen as client after client shares their stories of trauma, abuse, or depression," Trick confides. "When I'm not balancing these times with healthy choices and activities outside of sessions, I'm prone to experiencing more negative emotions and thoughts."

Psychiatrists face similar pressures, intensified by patient acuity, medication management, and administrative work tied to documentation and payer requirements. Compensation concerns also play an important role. Yet despite these challenges, many psychiatrists expressed strong commitment to staying in their field.

Another interesting insight from the survey is that many mental health clinicians experience less burnout when offering care through telehealth. For some, remote sessions allow for smoother transitions, fewer logistical stressors, and a workday that feels more sustainable.

"Since implementing telehealth, I find myself thinking about clients less often outside of sessions and handling logistical conversations, such as billing or scheduling, more efficiently," Trick says.

In this specialty, burnout reflects the emotional cost of supporting others through difficult experiences while navigating the practical demands that come with a full schedule.

Pediatric clinicians reported high levels of emotional and mental fatigue, shaped by both the needs of their young patients and the expectations of the families who accompany them. Much of their day involves not only treating children but also guiding parents through questions, concerns, and complex decisions.

A significant portion of pediatric work extends beyond the exam room: communicating with schools or agencies, completing forms, documenting developmental details, and supporting families through uncertainty. These responsibilities matter, but they add layers of emotional and administrative work that can stretch an already full day.

Survey responses also showed lower levels of professional fulfillment and a reduced sense of personal achievement in this group compared to other specialties. Some pediatric clinicians in the study pointed to compensation concerns within the speciality, while others described the emotional weight of caring for children whose health trajectories may be unpredictable or difficult.

Burnout in pediatrics often reflects the combined emotional responsibility of caring for both the patient and the family, alongside a workload that spans clinical care, communication, and detailed documentation.

Cardiology’s burnout pattern differs from the others. Emotional fatigue is less common in this specialty, but physical fatigue and system-related stress are pronounced. Clinicians reported that administrative and operational tasks — documentation requirements, payer interactions, and prior authorizations — play a central role in shaping the workday.

These responsibilities often extend beyond scheduled hours. Securing approvals, completing follow-up documentation, and managing communication with insurance providers can take significant time, sometimes overshadowing the clinical aspects of the job. Many clinicians noted that these processes interrupt their workflow and lead to longer, more fragmented days.

Burnout in cardiology is closely connected to the operational layers surrounding patient care. The clinical work may remain engaging, but the administrative friction around it often adds weight to the day and contributes to physical and cognitive fatigue.

Burnout does not stay confined to the person feeling it. Once it sets in, it begins to influence clinical work, team dynamics, and the experience patients have in the practice. The survey responses show that even small shifts in energy or focus can ripple outward in ways that affect the broader environment of care.

Many clinicians notice that burnout changes how they think and how they move through routine tasks. Focus becomes harder to maintain, patience thins more quickly, and decisions require more effort than they once did. This can affect charting, follow-up, and the amount of attention available during appointments.

One respondent described it plainly:

“While burnt out, I am more prone to providing lower-quality care in the form of less in-depth chart review, less chart audits, less in-depth notes, and less time and energy spent performing effective patient counseling.”
— Primary care physician, Millennial, Ohio

Burnout also affects the reliability of practice workflows. Delays become more common, charting takes longer, and the risk of errors increases. For some clinicians, burnout reaches a point where stepping away feels unavoidable:

“I have had to cancel patients the day of our appointment due to me having a panic attack or feeling so burnt out that I believed I wouldn't be helpful to them. I also took a month off before taking a break.”
— Mental Health Therapist, Millennial, Connecticut

These accounts illustrate how burnout alters the quality and consistency of care, even among highly skilled practitioners. As Trick puts it, "I can share endless resources with my counseling clients, but if I'm experiencing burnout, the joy I have at being with them or hope I have for their improvement is going to be stunted."

The strain of burnout also affects how teams relate to one another. Twenty-one percent of clinicians reported that they do not feel comfortable bringing up burnout with colleagues. This reluctance can create distance within teams, since shared challenges are rarely acknowledged openly.

Survey responses also showed that women are more willing to discuss burnout than men. When comfort levels differ within the same team, misunderstandings can grow and collaboration can suffer. Lower morale and tension often emerge not because of interpersonal conflict but because each person is working with less capacity than the job requires.

“One of the quietest consequences of burnout is isolation," Mandal shares. "Many physicians don’t feel safe admitting they’re struggling, especially in primary care where the pace never slows. When burnout can’t be named out loud, teams lose the chance to support each other, and everyone ends up carrying more than they should.”

A reduced sense of personal achievement was especially high in emergency medicine, where the emotional fatigue is the most intense.

For some clinicians, this reduced fulfillment leads to doubts about staying in their specialty. For others, it creates a quiet resignation, a feeling that the work no longer aligns with the expectations they had when they entered medicine.

This shift in fulfillment highlights a key insight from the survey: burnout reflects the conditions surrounding clinical work rather than the motivation of the clinician. It arises from workflows, administrative requirements, and the structure of practice environments that make sustained engagement difficult.

Trick's advice for providers is to diversify services as a means to prevent burnout. "Most therapists who've been in the field for 10+ years are providing services besides counseling: supervision, consultation, teaching, coaching, etc.," she notes. "I've updated my own service list in order to stay mentally fresh and professionally engaged."

As burnout grows, many clinicians try to create small moments of recovery. They exercise when they can, rest more deliberately, or spend time with family and friends. The survey shows that these habits are common, and 94% of clinicians rely on at least one of them to get through demanding weeks.

For Trick, exercise is a priority that helps clear her thoughts and remind her of her identity outside of work. "If I can't squeeze in a morning run or strength workout, I take a walk before or after dinner," she says.

Even with these routines in place, burnout often remains. Forty-nine percent of clinicians said they turned to at least one of the less helpful patterns when the stress felt unmanageable, such as:

These choices are not signs of indifference or lack of effort, they reflect how difficult it can be to recover when the workday leaves little room to do so.

“Most physicians I know are already trying to cope — exercise, family time, better sleep — but those strategies only help at the margins," says Mandal. "They can’t undo a workday that consistently spills into nights and weekends."

The survey makes one point clear: clinicians are not burned out because they lack resilience. Many are already doing what they can, and the pressure persists. Personal coping helps clinicians get through the day, but it cannot change the conditions that create burnout in the first place.

The sources of strain come from outside the individual: workflow demands, staffing gaps, administrative tasks, and technology that requires more time than it saves. Without changes to those systems, even the strongest coping habits can only offer temporary relief.

This is why many clinicians look toward system-level support, including tools that reduce documentation time, clearer workflows, more predictable staffing, and technology that simplifies daily tasks.

Physicians in the survey pointed to changes in workflows, staffing, and technology as the most significant sources of relief. These solutions shift pressure away from the individual and place it on systems designed to support daily care.

"Outsourcing billing has been one of the best decisions I made since opening my practice," Trick shares. "Rather than calling multiple insurance companies and wasting hours trying to learn why a claim wasn't paid, I delegate the task to my billing team who is well-equipped for the job."

Many physicians said that stronger administrative support makes their days feel more sustainable. Tasks such as intake, scheduling, follow-ups, and documentation become easier when workflows are clear and responsibilities are shared. 

Some practices rely on scribes or support staff to manage charting and routine communication. Others adjust their schedules to protect time for documentation or care coordination.

Physicians repeatedly mentioned that better digital tools, especially those that reduce documentation time, make an immediate difference in how the day unfolds. When systems work together and eliminate duplicate steps, physicians gain back minutes and sometimes hours that once disappeared into administrative tasks.

Survey respondents described technology as one of the clearest opportunities for improvement. Tools like Tebra’s AI Note Assist, automated intake workflows, integrated scheduling, and streamlined billing reduce the volume of manual work that previously extended into evenings or weekends. These solutions do not replace clinical judgment; they create space for it by handling the repetitive tasks that drain attention.

Mandal notes, “When documentation is faster and workflows are cleaner, physicians can be more present with patients instead of mentally racing through the next administrative task.”

Practitioners across multiple specialties noted that fewer interruptions and clearer processes reduce the sense of feeling constantly pulled in different directions. Administrative simplification, whether through improved EHR usability, automated tasks, or more predictable staff support, can remove pressure points that contribute directly to burnout.

Many clinicians said the shift is noticeable when they use tools that reduce complexity rather than add to it. Tebra’s integrated platform, for example, helps unify scheduling, charting, communication, and billing in one place, which reduces the fragmentation that often makes work feel chaotic.

Physicians describe the difference simply: when fewer tasks compete for attention, the work feels more like practicing medicine and less like managing a system.

The patterns are consistent across specialties. Burnout improves when the structure around the physician becomes easier to navigate, not when the individual tries to push through more strain. Tools that simplify documentation, clarify workflows, or reduce administrative load address burnout at its source. They remove friction from the workday, protect time for patient care, and create a foundation where physicians can do their best work.

These are the kinds of changes physicians say help them feel more present with patients, more connected to their teams, and more satisfied with the work they do each day. And they are the kinds of solutions practices can implement now, especially with platforms designed to reduce administrative pressure rather than add to it.

Burnout will not improve by asking physicians to carry more than they already do. The survey results make it clear that relief comes from changing the systems around the work, not from increasing personal effort.

"Physician burnout isn’t about motivation or resilience — it’s about systems that demand constant output without adequate support," Mandal notes. "When administrative work overshadows patient care, even deeply committed physicians begin to run on empty.”

This is where tools like Tebra make a difference. By bringing scheduling, intake, charting, billing, and communication into one connected platform, Tebra reduces the administrative load that contributes to burnout.

Features such as AI Note Assist, automated intake, and streamlined billing help physicians reclaim time that would otherwise be spent on paperwork or follow-up tasks. When those responsibilities shrink, the workday feels more manageable and more aligned with the care physicians want to provide.

Burnout is real, but it is not fixed in place. As Trick puts it, "We all have choices to make everyday; when we're aware of burnout warning signs, we must make changes at once."

With the right support, independent practices can create a workday that feels clearer, calmer, and more sustainable for the people at the center of it.