Exploring Burnout Impacting Graduate-Level Faculty and Leadership within Health Profession Education in the United States: A Systematic Scoping Review

Authors

• Megan Donaldson, Medical University of South CarolinaFollow
• Neeti Pathare, Tufts UniversityFollow
• Garry Gilbert, Tufts UniversityFollow
• Joshua Cleland, Tufts UniversityFollow

Abstract

Phenomenon: Full-time academic clinicians who hold faculty appointments in graduate‑level health professions education are expected to fulfill multiple, often competing role demands, including teaching, scholarship, service, clinical practice, and, for some, administrative leadership. These cumulative expectations can place faculty and educational leaders at elevated risk of burnout, particularly emotional exhaustion, with implications for career longevity, institutional stability, and educational quality. Approach: The objective of this systematic scoping review was to map how burnout has been conceptualized, measured, and associated with organizational and role-related factors among full-time graduate-level faculty and educational leaders in health and medical education (health professions) programs. Eligible studies included U.S.-based faculty or educational leaders in post-baccalaureate health professions education and used burnout measures with published evidence supporting the interpretation of scores for the study population. Studies focusing exclusively on full-time clinicians without academic appointments were excluded. A comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science was conducted from database inception through April 26, 2025. Findings: Twenty‑six studies met the inclusion criteria, representing 13,700 faculty members and 1,077 educational leaders. Emotional exhaustion was the most frequently reported burnout dimension across roles. Reported rates of high burnout ranged from 15% to 31% among faculty and from 3% to 31% among leaders, with moderate burnout affecting up to 85% of leadership samples. Across studies, organizational and role-related factors—including workload, administrative burden, autonomy, and institutional culture—were more consistently associated with burnout than individual demographic characteristics. Protective factors included decision latitude, mentorship, perceived institutional support, and alignment between work and personal values. Insights: This scoping review highlights burnout among academic faculty and leaders as a predominantly organizational phenomenon rather than an individual one. By synthesizing findings across roles through an organizational lens, this review clarifies how institutional structures and leadership contexts shape burnout experiences and identifies targets for system‑level interventions in academic health professions education.

Author Bio(s)

Dr. Megan Donaldson, PT, PhD, FAAOMPT is Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the Medical University of South Carolina. Her research focuses on musculoskeletal care, teaching and learning practices, and physical therapy training. She also serves as the President of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy.

Neeti Pathare, PT, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Tufts University School of Medicine. Her scholarly work focuses on movement science, rehabilitation, and cardiopulmonary physiology, with ongoing research exploring functional performance, exercise tolerance, and clinical outcomes in diverse patient populations.  

Garry Gilbert, PT, DPT is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at Tufts University School of Medicine. His professional and scholarly interests include physical therapy education, clinical practice, and faculty development in health professions training programs.  

Joshua A. Cleland, PT, PhD, FAAOMPT is a Professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Tufts University School of Medicine. His research focuses on clinical outcomes, measurement, and faculty development in health professions education, with extensive scholarship in musculoskeletal rehabilitation and academic research methodology.

Recommended Citation

Donaldson M, Pathare N, Gilbert G, Cleland J. Exploring Burnout Impacting Graduate-Level Faculty and Leadership within Health Profession Education in the United States: A Systematic Scoping Review. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2026 Sep 01;24(3), Article 29.