Striking the balance: A deep dive into wellness and work-life harmony in orthopaedic education - A comprehensive...

Work-life balance and wellness have emerged as critical components of medical training, especially within demanding fields such as orthopaedics, where long hours, intense physical tasks, and the emotional toll of patient care place trainees at heightened risk for burnout. To evaluate the current state of trainee well-being in orthopaedic education, we conducted a comprehensive literature review of studies published between 2000 and 2024, sourcing evidence from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar and analyzing over fifty qualitative and quantitative investigations. Our findings highlight key stressors including extended duty hours, physical strain, and emotional exhaustion that undermine resident performance and mental health. Conversely, targeted institutional policies, structured wellness programs, mentorship initiatives, and peer-support networks demonstrate significant potential to mitigate these challenges. We conclude that embedding wellness curricula, strengthening mentorship frameworks, and fostering personal resilience strategies are essential steps toward promoting sustainable orthopaedic training and preserving the long-term health of trainees.