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Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
In this year's Residents Lifestyle & Happiness Report, we explore how the various aspects of resident life affect their physical and mental well-being, including the impact of COVID-19 on the learning environment. More than 1600 residents in 30-plus specialties also told us about their relationships with attendings, nurses, and physician assistants.
(Note: Label values in charts are rounded, but rankings and calculations are based on raw data to avoid rounding errors.)
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Finding time for a personal life is a challenge for residents, although more men (24%) than women (19%) are likely to have time for a satisfying social life. Of residents who don't have time for a social life, 68% report that they have had relationships fail for this reason.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Residents for the most part had grounded expectations of what the balance of personal and professional life would be. Similar to last year, 42% said the balance was neither better nor worse than anticipated.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
COVID-19 is weighing on the minds of residents, with nearly half (47%) saying they are very concerned or concerned about catching the virus. Still, almost one quarter are not very worried about the threat to their health.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Of note, the number of residents responding that they are seeing patients with COVID-19 (54%) generally is similar to the percentage of residents who are very concerned or concerned about the infectious disease (47%). When Medscape spoke with residents, many of them said they had insufficient protective equipment and were exhausted from long hours caring for patients with COVID-19.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Caring for patients with COVID-19 generates mostly positive reactions among residents, with 41% saying they feel more appreciated as a medical professional and 38% saying they feel more proud of becoming a physician. However, some also have expressed concern and are feeling less appreciated.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
The vast majority of respondents feel that medical students should not take care of patients with COVID. The American Medical Association has issued guiding principles for medical students and residents caring for patients with COVID-19, including residents' rights to raise concerns about their personal safety.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Despite all concerns and hardships, residents are still very positive about their decision to enter medicine and remain convinced that this is the right career choice for them.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Similar to last year, residents' most desired job factor was work-life balance. (75% last year, 73% this year). Compensation ranked about the same in importance as last year. On the flip side, residents seemed a bit more interested in having a supportive organizational/practice environment (from 53% last year to 57% this year), whereas the proportion who wanted educational/professional growth opportunities and potential for career advancement were both similar to last year.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
As residents progressed in their education, those who were undecided about their career path became less so. Most residents are looking forward to being a doctor. Of those in the first and second year, 11% identified as undecided. That percentage decreased to 8% for those in the third or fourth year, 7% for those in the fifth and sixth year, and 5% for those in their seventh or eighth year.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
The reports of residents being depressed and struggling emotionally are sad and compelling. Still, a majority of residents are rarely or never depressed (57%), and another one third report that they sometimes feel depressed (31% this year vs 29% last year).
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Most residents (85%) say they have not considered suicide, the same percentage as last year, and a similar percentage said that they have had suicidal thoughts but have not acted on those thoughts. Among those stating that they have considered suicide, 51% reported feeling depressed "sometimes" and another 24% reported feeling depressed "always/most of the time."
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Residents often reach out to others as stress relief, with 75% saying they talk to family and close friends as a means of reducing stress. Other top methods of reducing stress include sleep (72%) and exercise (72%).
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Most residents could use more time spent on their own personal health and wellness, with nearly three quarters of residents responding that they spend sufficient time "sometimes" or "rarely/never" on their own wellness. Men, however, seem to make more time for this, with 30% responding "always/most of the time" compared with 21% of women.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Bullying is still an ongoing problem, as 27% of respondents report bullying occurring "often" or "occasionally," up from 24% in the previous year's survey. Women are more likely to be the victim, with 31% saying they are often or occasionally bullied, compared with 25% of men.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Of those who reported any level of bullying, attendings continue to be the primary source of it, and they are doing more of it. Last year, 62% of residents said attendings are the primary source. This year, it jumped to 73%. Nurses were cited as the source of bullying about the same as last year. Residents who are just 1-2 years post-MD (61%) less often report attendings as bullies than do those who are in their fifth year post-MD year or above (82%).
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
About one quarter of residents reported experiencing some degree of sexual abuse. Men are less often the victims of sexual harassment, with 17% of men reporting some degree of harassment and more than one third (35%) of women experiencing it.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Older residents were slightly more likely than younger ones to report experiencing or witnessing sexual harassment. In all, 24% of those 35 years or older said they reported what they witnessed, compared with 21% of those under 35.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
More than half (57%) of residents fear making a serious mistake. More women than men are fearful, with 64% of female respondents and 53% of male respondents acknowledging some fear of making a serious mistake. Confidence grows as training continues, however. Only 20% of first-year residents said they rarely or never fear making a serious mistake. That proportion increases to 38% among year 2 residents responding to the survey. In the final 3 years of residency, 47% of respondents say they rarely or never fear making a serious mistake.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Even greater than making a serious mistake, residents harbor doubts about being a good doctor, with 71% of respondents saying they have those doubts. Female residents tended to feel that doubt more frequently, with 78% saying they sometimes or always/most of the time have doubts about being a good doctor versus 66% of male respondents.
Gregory Twachtman | August 21, 2020 | Contributor Information
Three quarters of the respondents have access to a workplace stress program. This is a jump from only 57% of respondents last year saying they had access to such a program. Still, only 25% of respondents say they are taking advantage of them. Women (32%) are more likely than men (21%) to take advantage of the program.
Medscape National Physician Burnout & Suicide Report 2020
More than 15,000 physicians told us how they feel about burnout and depression. In some cases, their responses differed along generational lines.Medscape Features Slideshow, Jan 2020
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