We aimed to determine if burnout in neurology residents varies over the course of an academic year. We aimed to determine if burnout is associated with the training environment regarding autonomy and level of support from supervisors.

The study was conducted at four training programs with 68 total participants.  Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory at four time points during the academic year.  We captured subjective reports of autonomy, support from supervisors, and the incidence of events of approval or disapproval of their performance. A linear mixed model for repeated measures was used to analyze scores between survey administrations. Chi squared test was used to compare the prevalence of burnout between administrations.

Burnout levels showed no differences between scores of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), or personal accomplishment (PA) across the survey administrations. PGY2 residents had higher measures and prevalence of EE and DP compared to their senior peers. Residents reporting lack of autonomy had higher DP scores. Residents reporting disapproval events had higher burnout in both EE and DP domains.

Burnout appears to be stable over the duration of the academic year when measured quarterly, but may vary over the course of training with a peak in junior training years. The environment of resident autonomy and support from supervisors is associated with burnout and may present a target for reduction interventions. Heterogeneity between participating residency programs increases the generalizability of these results to other US neurology residents.