Exploring newly qualified doctors' workplace stressors: an interview study from Australia.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Occupational Psychology
• Doctoral Training

Background:

• Postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) doctors face high psychological distress.
• Contributing factors to this distress are not well understood.
• Existing workplace stress models may not fully capture PGY1 experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore workplace stressors pertinent to PGY1 doctors.
• To refine an existing workplace stress model (Michie's) for PGY1 doctors.
• To better reflect the unique experiences of PGY1 doctors in a conceptual model.

Main Methods:

• Focus groups conducted with 37 PGY1 doctors across four Victorian health services.
• Qualitative data analysis using Michie's workplace stress model as an initial coding template.
• Inductive coding of remaining text to modify and amplify the existing framework.

Main Results:

• Key stressors identified: work overload, long hours, lack of role clarity, and colleague relationships.
• A significant modification to Michie's model was the addition of 'uncertainty'.
• Uncertainty interconnected with other themes, leading to pervasive anxiety.

Conclusions:

• Michie's model is applicable for exploring PGY1 doctor stressors.
• Pervasive uncertainty is a key factor in PGY1 psychological distress.
• Improving role clarity and fostering mutual respect are crucial for the medical education community.