Abstract
Purpose: Burnout among academic faculty is a growing concern, particularly within health professions education. This study examines the prevalence of burnout, associated risk factors, and protective factors, including professional fulfillment, among faculty and leadership in U.S. graduate physical therapy (PT) programs. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to program leaders in graduate PT programs for distribution. The survey included validated metrics from the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index along with custom items assessing workload, institutional culture, mentorship, and wellness factors. Comparative analyses were conducted between individuals who reported burnout and those who did not. Results: A total of 152 responses were received. Burnout was reported by 53.9% of faculty in the past academic year, and 65.1% in the past three years. Among those affected, 84.1% attributed burnout directly to workload (p < 0.001). Faculty with burnout reported significantly lower professional fulfillment (2.2 vs. 3.16), greater work exhaustion (2.4 vs. 0.87), and higher interpersonal disengagement (1.8 vs. 0.42; all p < 0.001). Burnout was also associated with perceived unfairness in workload, reduced sleep and family time, adverse effects on both mental and physical health, and increased contemplation of job departure (p < 0.001). Protective factors included higher professional fulfillment, personal resilience, and structured workload processes. Conclusions: Burnout is very common among academic PT faculty and is closely linked to systemic workload and institutional culture factors. Promoting professional satisfaction, increasing workload transparency, and creating a wellness infrastructure could help reduce burnout and improve faculty retention. These findings highlight the urgent need for academic institutions to implement systemic policies that ensure workload fairness, support faculty well-being, and foster professional satisfaction to improve retention and sustainability in physical therapy education.
Recommended Citation
Cleland J, Mintken P, Donaldson M. Burnout and Professional Fulfillment Among Academic Faculty in U.S. Graduate Physical Therapy Programs: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2026 Jun 01;24(2), Article 3.
