Difficulties Faced by General Surgery Residents. A Qualitative Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Resident Well-being

Background:

• General surgery residency is demanding, leading to high burnout and mistreatment rates.
• Resident well-being impacts empathy and patient care quality.
• Urgent interventions are needed to improve surgical training experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the multifaceted challenges encountered by general surgery residents.
• To identify key problem areas impacting resident training and satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• Conducted comprehensive literature searches across major electronic databases.
• Included studies analyzing difficulties faced by general surgery residents.
• Employed qualitative analysis to derive and group analytical themes.

Main Results:

• Identified three primary themes: Residency Programme Problems, Work Associated Challenges, and Personal Concerns.
• Residency issues stemmed from lack of experience.
• Work challenges included peer and hierarchical interactions, and patient communication.

Conclusions:

• General surgery residents encounter diverse issues, from training program deficiencies to personal well-being and work-life balance.
• Findings can inform supportive measures for surgical residents.
• Addressing these challenges is vital for enhancing the overall training environment.