The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Resident Physicians Well-Being in the Surgical and Primary Care Specialties in the United States and Canada

Abstract

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the professional, social, and spiritual activities of resident physicians around the world, impacting wellness and personal relationships. Moreover, social distancing caused significant limitations or shutdown of places of worship, including churches, synagogues, mosques, etc. Our goal was to survey resident physicians in primary care and surgical subspecialties in the United States (U.S.) and Canada and to examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on their well-being. Methods: An international cross-sectional study was performed in November 2020, using an anonymous survey of programs in the U.S. and Canada, containing 20 questions to assess the impact of the pandemic on resident participation in social and spiritual activities and the effects on their wellness, and personal relationships. The emails with survey links attached were sent to individual program coordinators from accredited residency training programs in the United States and Canada. This consisted of programs accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), and the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The survey was evenly divided among surgical programs (General Surgery, Neurological Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Urological Surgery, and Integrated Surgical Residency Programs such as Plastic Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, and Vascular Surgery) as well as primary care programs (Internal Medicine and Family Medicine). Results: A total of 196 residents, 60 primary care residents, and 136 surgery residents participated in the study. Ninety-six participants (49%) were female, and 98 of the participants (50%) were male, with the remainder two residents identifying as “Other.” Of the primary care residents, the majority (39, 65%) were female. Conversely, the majority (77, 57%) of surgery residents were male. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the social lives, relationships, and spiritual well-being of both surgical and primary care resident physicians. However, primary care residents reported significantly greater engagement in personal relationships and were more likely to express feelings of mental and physical exhaustion, prohibiting social attendance.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on well-being of Italian physicians: a report from the Italian Society of Internal Medicine (SIMI) national survey

“…Trainee and residents have experienced a significant cost, due to the impact of the pandemic on learning programs and clinical rotations, as well as rescheduling of clinical activities, which has often placed trainee in a suddenly central role in the care of COVID-19 patients. Unsurprisingly, some reports have already showed how the COVID-19 pandemic exerted a detrimental effect on the overall and psychological well-being of trainee physicians [ 12 – 14 ]. Finally, regional differences in the burden of COVID-19 cases, particularly during the first phase of the outbreak [ 15 ], may have played a role in shaping the impact of the pandemic on HCPs well-being.…”

Surgical Protocols before and after COVID-19—A Narrative Review

“…The healthcare system needed to prepare for a sizable increase in surgeries as the COVID-19 pandemic wound down because the majority of elective procedures were shifted to a later time. The COVIDSurg Collaborative study found that if countries had raised the usual volume of surgeries by 20% after the pandemic, it would have taken a median of 45 weeks to clear the delay in the procedures from 12 weeks of the peak pandemic [ 50 ]. According to various post-pandemic procedures, the surgical backlog at two of the busiest cardiac surgery programmes in Maryland would have been cleared in 1–8 months with an operational volume of 216–263% in a month [ 51 ].…”

Current curricular trends after the COVID-19 pandemic: A national survey of psychiatry residency programs

“…In primary and surgical residents, the pandemic has affected social interactions, spiritual well-being, and increased levels of mental and physical exhaustion. 14 Hence, residency programs have increasingly prioritized resident wellness to mitigate further deterioration of mental health. 15 Generally, residents are allocated protected time and wellness days to address both personal and professional needs.…”