Female ODs Report Higher Job Stress, Burnout

A recent study sheds light on significant gender disparities in professional well-being among optometrists in the US, revealing that female practitioners face greater challenges related to job satisfaction, stress and burnout compared to their male counterparts. As female optometrists make up an increasing proportion of the workforce, surpassing male representation for the first time in 2024, the authors call for further exploration of the factors contributing to the worse well-being reported by female optometrists.The researchers used a modified version of the Mini-Z survey, a tool commonly used to assess job satisfaction, job stress and burnout among healthcare professionals, which was enhanced with additional questions tailored for optometrists. They distributed the survey through emails and social media platforms, ultimately receiving responses from 1,424 US optometrists (65% female). The team examined various demographic factors such as age, marital status, race, educational background and years of practice to establish correlations between these variables and professional well-being. A survey completed by more than 1,400 US optometrists found that female ODs reported worse professional well-being. Compared to their male counterparts, women were 1.54 times more likely to report high levels of job stress and 2.11 times more likely to experience burnout. Photo: Auer E, et al. Optom Vis Sci. June 13, 2025. Click image to enlarge. The data revealed that female respondents were markedly less likely to be white, married, have children, earn $200,000 or more per year and feel satisfied with their compensation. Compared to male optometrists, women were also less likely to be mid-career or later, conduct laser procedures and own their practice.There was an apparent gender disparity in perceived job stress and burnout: female ODs were 1.54 times more likely to report high levels of job stress and 2.11 times more likely to experience burnout compared to their male counterparts. Female optometrists also reported feeling less control over their workload than male ODs and spent more time managing electronic health records outside of work hours. Women were also significantly more likely to feel misaligned with the values upheld by leadership within their organizations.  Learn more about the changing demographics of the optometric workforce in this recent feature. In their paper for Optometry and Vision Science, the authors noted that these findings align with trends observed in other male-dominated professions and those transitioning from male to female dominance within the healthcare sector. They wrote, “Female physicians report higher levels of job stress compared with their male counterparts, while female dentists, physicians’ assistants and paramedics report lower levels of workplace satisfaction than males.” Furthermore, in eye care specifically, female ophthalmologists and optometric educators report higher burnout compared with males, and an Australian study reported higher levels of anxiety and exhaustion among female ODs.Regarding the reasons behind the lower professional well-being in female vs. male ODs, the authors put forth several possible explanations. “Women entering male-dominated fields and leadership positions within these fields experience a unique set of stressors,” they noted. “One phenomenon in hierarchical healthcare settings has been described as a ‘status leveling burden,’ or pressure on women from subordinates within their organization to be treated as equals.” Illustrating this, a prior study found that female surgeons were more inclined to assume extra responsibilities, relax professional boundaries and demonstrate kindness in their interactions with colleagues and subordinates, which, while fostering teamwork, can also be time-consuming and emotionally draining.“Consistent with the concept of the status leveling burden, these findings suggest that female optometrists enjoy their work, but the additional time and emotional labor required to achieve the same status as their male peers may contribute to higher levels of job stress and burnout,” the authors explained. They added that female physicians have also been found to spend more time with patients, “which may leave less time for charting and increase time spent on electronic health records at home.” While it may benefit patients, the authors note that longer visit times are a potential contributor to increased burnout among female ODs.As the field of optometry increasingly shifts toward a female majority, these concerning findings warrant more research to understand how the well-being of female optometrists can be improved. The researchers argue, “It may be beneficial to include gender-specific aims in further study of interventions and policies aimed at improving the professional well-being of optometrists.” Additionally, as the workforce undergoes a concurrent shift in racial and ethnic diversity, “the intersection of gender and race and ethnicity in the professional well-being of optometrists presents an opportunity for future research.”Click here for the journal source. Auer E, Marx K, Kaufman J, et al. Exploring gender differences in professional well-being among U.S. optometrists. Optom Vis Sci. June 13, 2025. [Epub ahead of print].