PEDIATRICS Vol. 82 No. 2 August 1988, pp. 260-263
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Resident Stress

Abraham B. Bergman MD1

1 From the Departments of Pediatrics, Harborview Medical Center and University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle

In the absence of confirmatory evidence, one can only sense that the lives of residents have become increasingly stressful since the late 1950s. Certainly residency stress is receiving more attention in the medical literature.1-4 An excellent conference on stress in pediatric housestaff training sponsored by the Study Group on Pediatric Education and Ross Laboratories was held in 1985.5 Whatever took place in the past, present-day residents carry heavy burdens that materially affect their current performance and future lives. Some of these burdens could and should be lightened. The first step is for medical educators to acknowledge that they exist.

It is neither possible nor advisable to eliminate all stress in residency training; after all, young physicians are being prepared for a taxing marathon race. Attempts should be made, however, to differentiate between useful stress and needless annoyances. Working long hours, behaving effectively in emergencies, dealing with death and dying, managing difficult patients, and coping with the uncertainties of diagnosis and treatment are examples of the first category. For high achievers used to getting As in school, accepting a less than perfect diagnosis, a disease without a treatment, or a mistake that kills is frustrating but must be endured. The annoyances will be discussed later.

GLOBAL CAUSES

Faculty probably can have only limited impact on some of the more global causes of resident stress. It is important, however, that they be recognized and, even more important that residents know that they are recognized. First, there are the normal issues of adult development common to young persons striving to put their personal and professional lives in order.6

Accepted on January 26, 1988




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