A NOVEL RESIDENT WELLNESS PROGRAM: INITIATIVES AND IMPACT

Abstract

Objectives Residency is a high stress period in a physician's career attributable to, at minimum, long hours, sleep deprivation, lack of autonomy, and sometimes, a poor work environment. Despite increased awareness of the prevalence of resident burnout and its attributable causes, there is a dearth of actionable guidelines and standards for residency programs to mitigate the personal impact of stress during residency. The University of Toronto Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology developed a structured Resident Wellness Program in 2011 that includes a number of initiatives focusing on team support, personal relationships, and personal health. A formal evaluation of this program was conducted in order to guide future development of the program. Methods An anonymous 44-item questionnaire was developed and distributed to current and former residents. A total of 40 current and 17 past residents responded. Results 80% of current and 88% of past residents felt satisfied or very satisfied with the Wellness Program, and reported that the most useful components are wellness appointments, personal communication post-adverse event with a Wellness team member, and referrals to counselling services. Some barriers to accessing the Wellness Program persist. Conclusions Overall, the Wellness Program is well received, but opportunities for improvement exist. We propose a model for a Resident Wellness Program that can assist other programs to develop initiatives that promote and support resident wellbeing.