A scoping literature review of factors associated with burnout among student pharmacists in the United States

Abstract

Objectives Burnout is an increasing challenge among student pharmacists. Individual studies have examined burnout among student pharmacists; however, faculty and college administrators lack a consolidated understanding of the educational, personal, and contextual factors associated with burnout. This scoping literature review explored factors associated with burnout among student pharmacists in the United States. Methods For this scoping literature review, MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and PsycINFO were searched for English-language studies published between January 2000 and February 2026. Records were deduplicated in EndNote and Covidence. Eligible studies reported factors associated with burnout or related outcomes, including emotional exhaustion, anxiety, depression, and poor well-being. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies were included. Two independent reviewers screened studies, assessed full texts, and extracted data, with disagreements resolved by a third reviewer. Reporting followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Results Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria from 2893 screened records. Most were published since 2020, used observational survey designs, and included students from one or more United States colleges of pharmacy. Validated burnout measures, primarily the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, were commonly used. Burnout was associated with intrinsic program factors (year in program, workload, competitive culture, campus assignment), extrinsic factors (co-curricular activities, employment, career planning), and individual factors (sex, marital status, sleep, nutrition, resilience, lack of time). One randomized trial found a mindfulness application reduced burnout after six weeks, although longer-term effects were mixed. Conclusion Burnout requires systemic curricular reform, integrated wellness initiatives, and longitudinal, multi-institutional research to improve student well-being and reduce burnout.