A Supportive Culture Maintains General Surgery Wellness

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Residency
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated adaptations in medical training, impacting resident well-being and social integration.
• Traditional in-person events were limited, posing challenges for fostering community and resilience among surgical residents.
• Resident-driven initiatives were explored as a novel approach to support wellness amidst social restrictions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of resident-led wellness interventions on surgical residents' burnout and overall well-being.
• To test the hypothesis that inclusion-focused, resident-driven initiatives could mitigate the negative effects of limited in-person interaction.
• To assess changes in wellness metrics and burnout scores before and after the implementation of targeted interventions.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous survey was administered to assess burnout and wellness among surgery residents.
• Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted over a 6-month period.
• Statistical analysis included Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests to compare assessment scores.

Main Results:

• High wellness metrics were reported by residents completing the surveys (71.6% and 48.6% response rates).
• No significant decline in wellness measures was observed at the 6-month post-assessment, indicating sustained high ratings.
• The first-year resident (PGY1) subgroup showed significant improvement in identifying a faculty mentor (P < .01) and reduced burnout (P < .05).

Conclusions:

• Surgical resident wellness is achievable through focused, resident-driven initiatives within the work environment.
• Intimate social support and workspace interventions are effective in enhancing wellness and reducing burnout.
• Department-wide gatherings are not essential for maintaining high levels of resident well-being and resilience.