Relationship between academic climate and burnout in Spanish medical schools

Introduction-aim: Several studies show a high prevalence of burnout among medical students, with the learning environment being suggested as one of the potential contributing factors. The present analysis aims to describe burnout in medical students and its relationship with the educational climate. We have investigated the relationship between burnout and academic climate. Previously, we found a correlation between a poor perception of academic climate with increased depression, anxiety, and other psychopathological symptoms. Material and methods: The study was carried out in 2022 in all 44 medical schools in Spain and analyses the academic climate (Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure) and its relationship with the perception of burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory) among medical students (n = 4374). Results: The global academic climate and the burnout subscales present an inverse correlation with exhaustion and depersonalization, and a direct correlation with efficacy. Students in public schools presented greater values for exhaustion and depersonalization than those from private centers. The levels of burnout increase during the stay in the school in these 3 subscales. Conclusion: Our study suggests a high correlation between a higher level of burnout and a worse assessment of the academic climate. The level of burnout varies according to gender, course, and type of medical school.