Description As part of wellness activities in 2023, our family medicine residents produced individual paintings. Samantha coalesced these 4 × 4 canvases to create this heart. The following quote is also poignant for those of us in family medicine.

UNASSIGNED: This study evaluated wellness programs in a large hospital network to determine residency program directors\' (PDs) perspectives on their wellness programs\' state, including wellness prioritization, frequency of wellness activities, and wellness\' influence on decision-making across organizational levels.
UNASSIGNED: In 2021, 211 PDs were sent surveys on program policies, program implementation frequency, perceptions of the administration\'s ability to prioritize wellness, funding sources, and perceptions of resident wellness\' impact on decision-making.
UNASSIGNED: Among 211 contacted programs, 148 surveys were completed (70.1%). The majority reported having wellness programs, committees, and funding. Fewer than 25% reported having a chief wellness officer. PDs perceived that fellow colleagues in their institution linked wellness to markers of institutional success to a greater extent than other available options (ie, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education [ACGME] requirements, budgetary concerns, resident input, core faculty priorities, and education quality). Financial well-being was perceived as least connected to wellness. Perceptions of wellness were rated across 3 organizational levels: program, institution, and organization. Across all levels, ACGME requirements (31.0%-32.8%) and budgetary/financial concerns (21.9%-37.0%) were perceived as having the most significant influence on overall decision-making, whereas resident wellness was rated lower in influence (8.0%-12.2%). Most programs allowed residents to attend mental health appointments without using paid time off (87.9%) and while on duty (83.1%).
UNASSIGNED: The frequency of wellness activities varied greatly across programs. PDs reported challenges making resident self-care and personal development a priority and perceived resident wellness as having limited importance to decision-making at higher levels.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to study the effect of serial night shifts on the cognitive, psychomotor, and moral performance of emergency medicine residents of an academic Emergency Medicine Department.
METHODS: This prospective case-crossover study compared emergency medicine residents\' sleep time, subjective sleepiness, cognitive function, moral judgment, and psychomotor skills after 5 consecutive days versus night shifts using sleep diaries, activity monitors, and multiple performance tests. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to analyze data based on normality. Correlation analysis was done using Spearman\'s correlation test. Subgroup analysis was also performed to find any difference based on gender and year of residency.
RESULTS: Twenty-seven emergency medicine residents participated (13 males, 48.1%). The distribution across residency years was as follows: 44.4% in their first year, 25.9% in their second year, and 29.6% in their third year. Following five consecutive night shifts, total sleep duration decreased significantly from 338.1 ± 67.8 to 307.4 ± 71.0 min (p < 0.001), while subjective sleepiness scores increased from 9.6 ± 3.3 to 13.6 ± 4.6. Psychomotor performance and reaction times did not significantly differ between night and day shifts. However, working memory declined, assessed by self-paced three-back test scores (median [IQR] 517.1 [471.9-546.7] vs. 457.6 [334.4-508.8]; p = 0.034) and interference test scores (445.5 ± 59.9 vs. 407.2 ± 56.8; p < 0.001), along with moral judgment (median [IQR] 19 [18-28] vs. 15 [11-21]; p = 0.010) after serial night shifts. No correlations existed between performance measures nor differences based on gender or residency year.
CONCLUSIONS: Residents sleep less following night versus day shifts, reporting the highest sleepiness levels after 5 consecutive nights. Despite this, psychomotor performance and reaction times did not significantly differ. However, considerable reductions occurred in moral judgment, working memory, and interference test performance after serial night shifts.

UNASSIGNED: Burnout is an increasingly prevalent problem among resident physicians. To address this problem, the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) created the Back to Bedside initiative, supporting resident-driven projects focused on increasing direct interactions with patients. In 2017, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) Internal Medicine Residency received a Back to Bedside grant to develop and implement \"Humanism Rounds,\" a multifaceted program which sought to promote personal connections between residents and patients and foster reflection about patients\' non-clinical stories, with the hopes of reducing burnout and increasing residents\' sense of meaning at work.
UNASSIGNED: Between 2018 and 2020, internal medicine residents were instructed on and encouraged to participate in Humanism Rounds. The program included three components: taking a \"human history,\" bedside rounds focused on non-clinical concerns, and sharing patient stories with colleagues (\"celebrations\"). Residents were surveyed using institutional and ACGME surveys regarding burnout, meaning at work, and the clinical learning environment.
UNASSIGNED: Three hundred eleven institutional (response rate, 74%) and 328 AGCME (response rate, 78%) surveys were completed and analyzed. Residents who actively engaged with Humanism Rounds reported more meaning and fulfillment at work (p < 0.001). During the period of this project, ratings of the learning environment and personal callousness improved among subgroups of residents.
UNASSIGNED: Baylor College of Medicine Internal Medicine residents who engaged with Humanism Rounds reported more meaning and fulfillment in their work. This program describes a low-cost model for other specialties and institutions to strengthen human connections and improve residents\' experience during training.
UNASSIGNED: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-024-02017-9.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical trainees who welcome a new child during residency often face challenges related to appropriate parental leave. To address this, we instituted a comprehensive family medical leave policy within our training program and assessed resident perceptions before and after the policy\'s introduction. We hypothesized that this new formal policy would enhance feelings of support amongst all (not just childbearing) trainees.
METHODS: A web-based survey to gauge resident perceptions on parental leave was distributed to all residents at a single academic general surgery residency at 2 intervals: prior to policy implementation and 1 year after policy implementation.
METHODS: The study was conducted at a single institution, academic general surgery residency program.
METHODS: All general surgery residents at the institution were included (n = 95).
RESULTS: About 40 out of 95 (42%) residents participated in the initial survey and 25 of 95 (26%) completed the subsequent survey. There was a significant improvement in resident reported satisfaction with the policy from pre to post: 15% pre to 68% post, p < 0.001, report the policy frequently supported trainees\' needs, 20% pre to 88% post, p < 0.001, perceived the policy as fair. Most residents (90.0% pre and 80.0% post) perceived pregnancy as a risk during surgical training. There were no differences in perception of the new policy between residents who were parents and residents who were not parents.
CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of a comprehensive family medical leave policy improved all surgical trainees\' (including nonparents) perception of policy effectiveness and policy fairness. This is counter to the published perception that parental leave creates a burden on fellow trainees. However, pregnancy remains a stressor for the individual new parent. Surgical programs can develop supportive formal family medical leave policies; it is important to address the inherent systemic and cultural barriers surrounding childrearing during surgical training.

Description According to theatrical superstition, saying \"Macbeth\" in the theater when you aren\'t actively performing or rehearsing foreshadows impending doom. In a similar way, in the hospital, its own production of sorts where medical staff is under pressure to perform, it\'s the \"Q\" word. We all dread the \"Q\" word and are vexed with anyone who dares say it. Yet sometimes wandering the hospital during night float, I often feel a profound sense of \"Quiet.\" The word is typically associated with a lack of it, but I find there is a certain peace with being alone with one\'s thoughts. Residency can be an isolating endeavor, and this particular type of quiet reflection doesn\'t come around often in a busy hospital. When it does, I think about the other people in this shared space that we work in who may also be feeling the same way, which is bizarrely comforting. However, I probably wouldn\'t say so out loud, especially under a full moon.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical residents.
METHODS: An online survey was distributed evaluating multiple domains: demographics, health and socioeconomic factors, clinical experience, educational experience, and psychological outcomes. The Mayo Clinic Resident Well-Being Index (RWBI) was used as a validated measure of resident mental health.
METHODS: Surgical residents from University of British Columbia\'s surgical residency programs.
RESULTS: A total of 31/86 surgical residents responded to the survey. Of which, 57% and 46% reported feeling burned out or depressed, respectively. Residents who were concerned about personal protective equipment supply and who lived with family members with comorbidities had a higher risk of depression (p = 0.03, p = 0.04). The median Mayo Clinic Resident Well-Being Index was 2.5, higher than the median of 2 observed in the United States national survey of residents.
CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic had a considerable negative impact on the psychological well-being of surgical residents.

OBJECTIVE: Residency serves as a crucial time in the professional and personal development of young physicians. Extensive effort is devoted to the clinical training of residents across the country. However, many residents report concerns with compensation, quality of life, and benefits during their clinical training. We sought to evaluate the benefits packages of resident physicians in comparison with other full-time employees at their institutions.
METHODS: \"Top 50\" Residency programs in Medicine, Surgery, and Pediatrics in the United States.
METHODS: To accomplish this task we selected the, \"Top-50,\" institutions for medicine, pediatrics, and surgery using Doximity\'s Residency Navigator and compared the benefits of residents at these institutions with full-time employees by accessing benefits offerings listed on institutional websites.
RESULTS: We found that residents were more likely to receive parking benefits and gym memberships, while full-time employees were more likely to be offered flexible spending accounts, retirement benefits, and tuition support.
CONCLUSIONS: Residents receive different benefits packages than their colleagues employed in full time positions at the same institutions. Further discussion regarding the benefits offered to physicians, and the role that benefits play in resident wellbeing is warranted in light of these findings.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of resident-led and faculty-led initiatives for physician wellness after implementation of a resident wellness program.
METHODS: We initiated a wellness curriculum with both resident and faculty-led components in a large academic OB/GYN residency program in October 2020. The curriculum was created and evaluated using the Logic model. Residents were surveyed pre and 8 months postintervention with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Physician Well-Being Index (PWBI), with activity-related questions added to the second survey. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney test, Chi-square test, and theme analysis were performed as appropriate.
METHODS: A large academic OB/GYN residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas PARTICIPANTS: All residents (n = 48) were invited to take part in the surveys. Response rate was 31/48 (65%) pre and 28/48 (58%) postintervention.
RESULTS: Residents scored moderate for emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and high for personal accomplishment on both pre and post-MBI surveys. All indices of the PWBI improved over time; however, no significant differences were found in pre and postmeasures. Resident-led activities, which were alternated between individualized time off and group resident socialization, were rated significantly higher than faculty-led activities; 93% (52/56) of respondents rated resident-led activities in their top 2 most helpful initiatives compared to 7% (4/56) who rated faculty-led activities in their top 2 most helpful (p < 0.01) initiatives. Open-ended comments revealed that continued focus on wellness, attention to personal health, and systematic change were the most important ways to improve resident wellness.
CONCLUSIONS: Decreases in burnout were not achieved over an 8-month period with program-level resident-led and faculty-led initiatives. Providing scheduled time for residents to use at their discretion and the continuation of events that encourage socialization are tools that are highest rated by residents to facilitate wellness.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to understand the perspectives of current and recently graduated pediatric residents concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent curriculum changes, to their education.
BACKGROUND: Residency programs have experienced unprecedented alterations to education in the form of changing expectations, schedules, and opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known regarding resident perceptions of how these changes impact their education and ultimate career preparation.
METHODS: An anonymous and voluntary electronic IRB exempt survey was sent to pediatric residents at a mid-sized residency program in the mid-Atlantic in August of 2020. This cross-sectional study survey consisted of a series of multiple choice questions with optional short answer responses.
RESULTS: Twenty-two pediatric residents across all training years completed the survey for a response rate of 36%. The majority of residents, 59.1%, were interested in directly caring for COVID + patients; however, the minority (36%) felt prepared to care for COVID + patients. Most residents (63%) responded that graduate medical education programs should not have authority to exclude residents from taking care of patients with certain diagnoses and 95% of respondents indicated that they would prefer an opt out system instead.
CONCLUSIONS: The majority of resident respondents had a strong interest in caring for COVID + patients and report that they value frequent updates from program leadership to guide their patient care. Residents also overwhelmingly support an opt out system when caring for future patients with particular infectious diagnoses rather than a mandated exclusion approach.