How Applicants to General Surgery Residency Define Resilience

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Psychology

Background:

• Resilience is critical for medical residency success but poorly understood.
• The transition to general surgical resident (GSR) is a formative period.
• Defining resilience among aspiring surgeons is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine how aspiring general surgery residents define resilience.
• To explore the multifaceted nature of resilience in surgical trainees.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving interviews with prospective general surgery residents.
• Applicants defined resilience during the standard interview process.
• Qualitative content analysis and iterative consensus process to identify themes.

Main Results:

• 261 resilience definitions were collected from 117 interviews.
• Five key themes emerged: support, learning from failure, adaptability, self-reflection, and perseverance.
• These themes indicate a complex understanding of resilience.

Conclusions:

• Resilience for general surgery residents is multifaceted.
• Applicant definitions align with the five components of emotional intelligence.
• Understanding these definitions can inform residency training and support.