How Program Directors Understand General Surgery Resident Wellness.

OBJECTIVE

Burnout among general surgery residents is prevalent. Guidance on how program directors (PDs) can effectively intervene on general surgery resident wellness is lacking. In this study, we explore how PDs learn about burnout among their residents and support their well-being.

DESIGN

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with PDs. Interviews were transcribed and coded by study team dyads who utilized an inductive coding approach, and then reconciled via consensus. Interpretive description was the qualitative analytical method.

SETTING

Program tours to 15 general surgery programs during the exploratory phase of the SECOND Trial.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifteen general surgery PDs.

RESULTS

PDs identified the utility of contextual information in understanding resident wellness and implementing program-specific resident wellness initiatives. Three themes relating to PD awareness of resident burnout and well-being were identified: (1) PDs used conventional and novel methods to collect data from multiple information sources, including residents, faculty, staff, institutional representatives, and anonymous parties. (2) These contextualized data inspired the development of responsive strategies to effect programmatic changes that improved education and wellness. (3) Barriers to acquiring and utilizing information exist, requiring careful analysis, creative problem solving, as well as persistence and dedication to resident wellness.

CONCLUSIONS

Qualitative analysis of general surgery residency PDs yielded insightful knowledge about gathering and responding to information to support resident wellness, including successful strategies and areas of caution. The experience of these PDs can guide others in evaluating their wellness goals and initiatives for their own residents.