In gossip, we trust: Residents' understanding of gossip as a social resource

Gossip is pervasive in residency programs and may play a key role in resident development. In this study, conducted from a constructivist vantage point, we aim to explore residents' experience of gossip in the residency workplace.

Constructivist grounded theory was used to iteratively conduct and analyze interviews with 16 resident participants from pediatric, internal medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, and psychiatry programs located in the United States and the Netherlands. Interview questions focused on residents' personal experiences with gossip in training.

We found that gossip has multiple emotional impacts on participants, while also helping them navigate the learning environment. Gossip participation itself must be navigated, but how participants do so varies, with each following a different map, or unspoken rules surrounding gossip etiquette, often routed by social connectivity and trust.

We theorize gossip as a social resource in residency training. Gossip influences residents' emotions and, through gossip, residents learn what is expected of them and from others. However, gossip is not uniformly available. Residents likely experience differential emotional support and requisite information gained through gossip. Program leaders should be aware of the influence of gossip and seek to understand social connectivity in their programs.