A theory-informed call curriculum: advancing resident wellness without compromising education.

Area of Science:

• Graduate Medical Education
• Physician Wellness
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Physician burnout is prevalent, particularly among early-career physicians.
• Organizational interventions are more effective but underutilized in residency programs.
• Call responsibilities are a significant source of stress and a target for wellness initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply the Job Demands-Resources model and Self-Determination Theory to redesign an anesthesiology residency call curriculum.
• To improve resident wellness and reduce burnout through organizational-level changes.

Main Methods:

• Redesigned the call curriculum in a 48-month anesthesiology residency program.
• Implemented structured night float rotations with built-in recovery and peer trade flexibility.
• Guided by national duty hour benchmarks and theoretical frameworks.

Main Results:

• Reduced on-call shift variability and redistributed call responsibilities more evenly across postgraduate years.
• Maintained or increased operating room minutes, preserving clinical exposure.
• Improved resident-reported satisfaction with time for reflection and participation in work decisions.

Conclusions:

• Theory-informed, organizational-level interventions can enhance resident wellness.
• This approach can improve graduate medical education without compromising educational quality.
• Further qualitative research will explore resident perspectives on engagement and workload.