Care to underserved children: Residents' attitudes and experiences.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pediatrics
• Public Health

Background:

• Caring for underserved populations is a critical aspect of pediatric training.
• Understanding factors influencing residents' commitment to serving these communities is essential for workforce development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the link between residents' emotional responses to caring for underserved children and families and their perception of continuity clinic experiences.
• To identify characteristics associated with pediatric residents' commitment to caring for underserved populations after training.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional descriptive study utilizing a 49-item questionnaire.
• Survey data collected from 210 third-year pediatric residents across 12 urban Northeast training programs.
• Inquiries focused on emotional responses, clinic perceptions, sense of effectiveness, prior experiences, and future practice intentions regarding underserved care.

Main Results:

• 57% of residents intended to dedicate part of their practice to underserved care.
• Positive emotional responses (e.g., empathy, reduced worry about numbness) were linked to higher perceived effectiveness and better clinic operations.
• An early interest in serving the underserved during residency predicted post-training commitment.

Conclusions:

• Specific emotional responses and perceptions of the continuity clinic experience are key predictors of residents' future engagement with underserved populations.
• Interventions aimed at fostering positive emotional connections and enhancing perceived effectiveness may encourage more physicians to serve vulnerable communities.