Surgical profession could come with cost to marriage

Divorce rates may be higher in the surgical profession than other medical professions.

In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, investigators used survey results from the American Community Survey database conducted between 2018 and 2023 to examine the marital status and divorce rates among more than 4,000 surgeons and 64,000 nonsurgeon clinicians. About 13,000 dentists, 300,000 advanced practice providers and 550,000 allied health care workers were also included in the analysis.

Compared with 33 hours, 33 hours and 31 hours worked per week among dentists, advanced practice providers and allied health care workers, respectively, surgeons and nonsurgeon clinicians worked about 45 hours per week. Because of the demanding and inconsistent hours worked by surgeons, the investigators found that the rate of divorce was higher among surgeons compared with nonsurgeon clinicians — about 21% versus 18% — particularly among surgeons who were male or white.

The findings suggested that surgeons may need greater support systems to maintain their well-being.

Read more: Journal of the American College of Surgeons

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