Exploring the major difficulties perceived by residents in training: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Internal Medicine Residency
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• The transition to residency presents unique challenges for new physicians.
• Previous studies often relied on structured questionnaires to assess resident difficulties.
• A qualitative approach offers deeper insights into resident experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the primary difficulties and concerns encountered by first-year internal medicine residents.
• To utilize a qualitative methodology for a more nuanced understanding of resident challenges.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a qualitative study with 24 first-year internal medicine residents.
• Residents were asked to identify 2-3 major practice-related difficulties.
• Content analysis was performed by three independent researchers with high inter-rater agreement.

Main Results:

• Nine key categories of difficulties emerged, including communication issues, lack of respect, work overload, and emotional challenges.
• Residents reported significant problems with communication and respect from seniors, peers, and hospital staff.
• Difficulties in managing personal emotions and patient emotions were also prominent.

Conclusions:

• Residency requires integrating instrumental/cognitive knowledge with personal and relational skills.
• Medical knowledge alone is insufficient for addressing complex patient care scenarios.
• Training programs must support residents in identifying and managing the demands of the physician role.