Causes of Death Among US Medical Residents

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Mortality Studies

Background:

• From 2000 to 2014, neoplastic diseases and suicide were the leading causes of death among US medical residents.
• Understanding trends and causes of resident mortality is crucial for improving physician well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if US medical resident death rates have changed since 2014.
• To investigate if causes of resident death vary by medical specialty.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study analyzed data from the National Death Index for residents and fellows who died between 2000-2014 and 2015-2021.
• Poisson regression modeling was used to compare death rates between the two periods and across specialties.
• Resident deaths were compared to age- and gender-matched peers in the general population.

Main Results:

• Between 2015-2021, 161 residents died during training; suicide accounted for 29.2% and neoplastic diseases for 17.4%.
• The death rate from neoplastic diseases significantly decreased compared to 2000-2014 (IRR, 0.59).
• Rates of death from other causes, including suicide, remained unchanged; resident death rates were lower than the general population.
• Pathology had the highest suicide rate (19.76/100,000 person-years), psychiatry the highest neoplastic disease rate (9.67/100,000), and anesthesiology the highest accidental poisoning rate (15.46/100,000).

Conclusions:

• While deaths from neoplastic diseases decreased among medical residents, suicide remains a significant concern, particularly during the initial year of training.
• Addressing trainee distress and well-being, especially during program transitions, is essential.