Difficulties Faced by Residents and Clues for Solutions: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Systems
• Psychology

Background:

• Complex healthcare systems create diverse experiences for medical residents.
• Postgraduate medical education (PGME) requires understanding resident challenges, consequences, and coping mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reveal the difficulties faced by medical residents during postgraduate education.
• To identify the consequences of these difficulties.
• To explore the coping strategies employed by residents.

Main Methods:

• Phenomenological study utilizing maximum diversity purposive sampling.
• Semi-structured interviews with 10 medical residents across various disciplines.
• Seven-step thematic analysis of interview data.

Main Results:

• Key challenges identified in learning-teaching processes, academic environment, healthcare system interactions, and specialty perceptions.
• Consequences include deteriorated well-being and perceived incompetence.
• Coping strategies involve individual efforts (problem-solving, socializing) and seeking institutional/psychological support.

Conclusions:

• Residents' difficulties stem from educational, cultural, systemic, and temporal factors.
• Solutions require systemic design and support at institutional and national levels, recognizing residents as young adults.
• Addressing internal structural constraints and external factors is essential for effective PGME.