A survey to assess job satisfaction among junior doctors in Greece

Introduction: Junior doctors have to learn how to deal with long shifts, lack of sleep, study hours, increased responsibilities, hard competition, and also a personal and social life. This amount of pressure leads to both physical and mental illness. The present study seeks to unveil how Greek junior doctors perceive their residency, focusing on job satisfaction. Methods: A 36-question survey based on the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) translated into the Greek language, was placed online and promoted to junior doctors. Pay, Promotion, Supervision, Fringe Benefits, Contingent Rewards, Operating Procedures, Coworkers, Nature of Work, and Communication facets were studied. Results: 113 junior doctors replied, 52 (46%) males and 61 (54%) females with a mean age of 33,4 years. They appear dissatisfied within their working environment (JSS score=100,4). This applies more to females (97,1) than males (104,3). They only feel satisfied with the nature of their work (16,5) with females more satisfied (16,7) than males (16,3). Pay facet presented the worst results, independent of sex. Greek junior doctors consider themselves working in far worse environment than that of their American colleagues (JSS score=135,8 compared to 100,4 in Greece). Conclusion: The serious problems Greek junior doctors face are depicted with truly disappointing figures, with bureaucracy being the major problem leading to less work efficiency. More healthcare investments and fairer salaries must be implemented, especially in times of economic crisis, as good health is paramount for a stable society and public health is the result of the work of the country's hard-working junior doctors.