To the Editor: The uniquely stressful nature of medical practice has been highlighted by many studies focusing largely on general practitioners, consultant physicians and senior hospital staff.1,2 Although overseas data confirm significant levels of stress and anxiety among junior medical officers (JMOs),3-5 few researchers have examined the cohort in Australia. Consequently, the JMO Welfare Study was initiated by junior doctors as a quality-improvement exercise to investigate aspects of intern life in Australia by quantifying levels of work-related stress, burnout and job satisfaction among JMOs.

All interns in Western Australia and Queensland, together with interns working in nine primary allocation centres in New South Wales, were invited to participate in a retrospective, questionnaire-based observational study. The questionnaire, offered to doctors completing their internship in 2007 in WA and NSW, and in 2008 in Queensland, consisted of two sections. The first section contained questions with fixed response options, such as a 5-point Likert scale (Box), while the second section utilised the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) psychometric tool.6

The response rate was 39% (276/706), with respondents having a demographic profile similar to non-respondents. Sixty-six per cent of interns were registered as patients with GPs, although only half (53%) had visited a GP in the past year. Sixty-five per cent self-reported high levels of stress in the workplace, and 47% believed their workload was excessive. More than 90% of interns felt they were well supported by other clinicians and most enjoyed their work (82%). If given their time again, 18% conceded they would not study medicine. Using the ProQOL scale, researchers found 59% of surveyed interns had low levels of job satisfaction, 31% were susceptible to burnout and 23% were at risk of emotional fatigue.

Despite the survey limitations of a low response rate and reliance on data collected in different years, the JMO Welfare Study demonstrates that the intern year is a stressful time for medical graduates employed in Australia. While interns appear to be well supported in the workplace, a significant proportion experience low levels of job satisfaction and are susceptible to burnout and emotional fatigue. Although it is impossible to remove the element of stress associated with work as a medical practitioner, these findings indicate a need for junior doctors to be adequately trained in stress management and provided with suitable support services, such as counselling.