Sleep Quality and Duration Can Influence Junior Physicians' Performance in High-Level Assessments for Residency...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Sleep Medicine
• Cognitive Performance

Background:

• Junior physicians face high-stakes assessments for medical residency.
• Sleep quality and duration are critical factors influencing cognitive function.
• Understanding sleep patterns in this demographic is essential for performance evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate sleep quality and duration among junior physicians in Paraguay.
• To determine the relationship between sleep patterns and performance on residency assessment evaluations.
• To identify factors affecting sleep in physicians preparing for high-stakes exams.

Main Methods:

• A self-administered survey using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was employed.
• Data collected on sleep patterns the month and night before the National Commission for Medical Residencies (CONAREM) evaluation.
• Survey responses were analyzed and correlated with CONAREM scores.

Main Results:

• A 66.3% response rate was achieved among 407 junior physicians.
• Over half (55.5%) reported very poor sleep quality (PSQI > 10).
• Poor sleep quality and short sleep duration (≤ 6 hours) before the CONAREM evaluation were associated with lower scores.

Conclusions:

• Physicians' sleep quality and duration the night before a high-stakes evaluation positively correlate with their performance.
• Adequate sleep is vital for optimal cognitive function in stressful medical assessment scenarios.
• Findings underscore the need to address sleep health in medical training programs.