Among physician associates (PAs) who reported burnout in 2026, 44% said it has lasted more than two years, up from 37% in 2024, according to Medscape’s PA Burnout & Depression Report 2026.
The report, published Oct. 9, is based on an online survey of 778 U.S. practicing PAs conducted Jan. 26 to May 5, 2026, with a margin of error of 3.51% at a 95% confidence level.
Findings on burnout draw on the 384 respondents who reported feeling burned out (margin of error of 5%), and findings on depression draw on the 164 who reported feeling depressed (margin of error of 7.65%).
Note: Medscape said some totals do not equal 100% because of rounding.
Here are eight things to know from the report:
- In 2026, 35% of PAs said they were burned out, 6% said they were depressed, 15% said they were both and 44% said they were neither. The share reporting both burnout and depression was 15%, down from 23% in 2024, according to the report.
- Burnout is becoming more chronic. Among burned-out PAs, 44% in 2026 said their burnout had lasted more than two years, compared with 37% in 2024 and 20% in 2022. The share reporting burnout of one to two years fell to 29% in 2026 from 37% in 2024.
- Paperwork and pay topped the list of burnout drivers. In 2026, 57% of burned-out PAs cited too many bureaucratic tasks such as charting (58% in 2024), 49% cited insufficient compensation (46% in 2024), 39% cited too many hours at work (38% in 2024) and 38% cited lack of respect from administrators, employers, colleagues or staff (44% in 2024).
- Job stress was the dominant driver of burnout and depression in 2026, cited by 83% of men and 75% of women. Medscape said the pattern suggests the root cause lies more in job demands than in personal circumstances.
- About 22% of PAs said their employer recognizes their burnout, a share Medscape said has held flat since 2024. Roughly three in four said their burnout goes unnoticed or unacknowledged.
- PAs increasingly want more pay and lighter patient loads. In 2026, 57% said increased compensation would help reduce burnout (52% in 2024), and 47% said lighter patient loads would help (41% in 2024). The share who cited greater respect from administrators, employers, colleagues or staff fell to 28% from 38% in 2024. In 2026, 17% said a new job would help, compared with 15% in 2024.
- Burnout is pushing some PAs toward leaving medicine. In 2026, 15% of men and 10% of women said their burnout was so severe they were considering leaving medicine altogether. Medscape also found that 14% of PAs from earlier generations said the same, compared with 9% of millennials.
- PAs are wary of confiding at work about depression. In 2026, 68% said they would be less willing to confide in a work supervisor and 74% in a work administrator, while the shares less willing to confide in family (24%) and friends (25%) were much smaller. Sixty percent said talking openly with coworkers about depression would not help, and 18% said it could.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
