Evolution and Effects of Caffeine Utilization Throughout Medical and Surgical Training

Objective The objective of the study is to investigate the evolution of caffeine consumption during medical education, its variation by specialty, and any potential negative impacts on medical trainees. Methods We employed a multi-institutional, anonymous questionnaire to gather data on caffeine consumption and related effects among medical trainees. The survey quantified caffeine intake and its impact on sleep, focus, and fatigue. Comparisons were drawn between medical students and residents. Statistical analysis was conducted using chi-squared tests and T-tests. Results Totaling 315 survey respondents, 211 (67%) were medical students and 104 (33%) were residents. Among resident respondents, 44 (42.3%) were surgical residents and 60 (57.7%) were medicine residents. Residents demonstrated more caffeine consumption compared to medical students (200 mg vs 152 mg, p = 0.001); no significant difference in consumption was found between surgical and medicine residents (176 mg vs 217 mg, p = 0.112). An inverse correlation was identified between caffeine intake and self-reported daily tiredness for student/resident groups (p = 0.024 and p = 0.023, respectively). No significant associations were found between the year of medical training and tiredness (p = 0.503), focusing (p = 0.105), or sleep (p = 0.178). Conclusion We demonstrated that the year of medical training does not have an impact on caffeine usage or effects, and there is no significant difference between surgical/medical residents. There is a difference between residents and medical students with a significant impact on career-related parameters such as focus and sleep, underscoring the need to further investigate caffeine usage implications in medical trainees and its long-term effects on fatigue management.