Dissatisfaction with residency: A discrepancy between preferences and expectations?

Figures & data

Table

Practice points

During their training, residents perform two roles: that of student and that of worker. However, they perform duties with similar responsibilities as medical professionals. A conflict between these two roles (trainee and worker) arises among residents due to the discrepancy between their preferences and expectations regarding the residency. Residents showing the greatest discrepancies between preferences and expectations are also more dissatisfied with the residency period. Healthcare managers must rethink the residency training model to ensure that the residents do not equate themselves to a ‘cheap workforce’. By doing so, the residents will perceive that the residency is truly a training period.

Figure 1. Questions P31 (preferences) and P32 (expectations). Source: study E0817 IESA-CSIC.

Table 1  Characteristics of residents

		Frequency	Percentage
Sex	Male	197	34.08
	Female	381	65.92
Age groups	Under 26 years	234	40.48
	26 to 29 years	203	35.12
	Over 29 years	124	21.45
	NA	17	2.94
Marital status	Single	416	71.97
	Married	71	12.28
	Cohabiting	71	12.28
	Separated or divorced	3	0.52
	NA	17	2.94
People at home	Alone	126	21.80
	Share flat	87	15.05
	With partner and/or children	163	28.20
	With parents	175	30.28
	Others	10	1.73
	NA	17	2.94
Nationality	Spanish	525	90.83
	Others	36	6.23
	NA	17	2.94
Specialty	Family, internal and paediatrics medicine	240	41.52
	Other medical specialities	336	58.13
	NA	2	0.35
PhD courses	Yes	232	40.14
	I am not doing	290	50.17
	No, I have already done and finished	53	9.17
	NA	3	0.52

Source: study E0817 IESA-CSIC.

Figure 2. Graph of dispersion between the questions P31 (preferences) and questions P32 (expectations). Source: study E0817 IESA-CSIC.

Figure 3. The first impression of the residency: discrepancy between preferences and expectations. Source: study E0817 IESA-CSIC.

Table 2  The first impression and expectations of residents according to the indicator ‘discrepancy’ (difference between preferences and expectations during the residency as a training or a working period)

Expectations	Frequency (%)	Mean	N	SD	F	Sig.
P26. What was your first impression of the residency?
Very negative/negative	3.8	197.68	22	71.94
Neither negative nor positive	12.0	162.83	66	106.72
Positive/very positive	84.2	126.08	468	108.60
Total	100	133.60	556	108.47	7.532	0.001
P28.3. I will gradually assume responsibilities during my residency
Disagree	12.0	174.72	67	112.03
Neither agree nor disagree	12.8	153.95	74	106.30
Agree	75.2	123.33	415	106.41
Total	100	133.60	556	108.46	8.184	0.000
P28.6. All the residents have equal training opportunities
Disagree	58.6	144.42	324	108.07
Neither agree nor disagree	21.9	115.39	123	102.45
Agree	19.5	120.91	108	113.13
Total	100	133.41	555	108.47	4.131	0.017
P30. Do you believe that it will be easy for you to combine your residency with the following activities?
P30.1. Scientific activities and thesis
Little or no possibility	33.9	162.30	191	116.76
Neither often nor little	41.4	124.36	232	101.45
Often or very often	24.7	107.93	132	99.43
Total	100	133.41	555	108.54	11.638	0.000
P30.2. Attendance to courses and conferences
Little or no possibility	19.7	167.35	110	110.83
Neither often nor little	39.5	133.77	222	109.11
Often or very often	40.9	116.57	223	103.26
Total	100	133.41	555	108.54	8.275	0.000
P30.3. Publication of scientific works
Little or no possibility	27.2	168.08	154	120.20
Neither often nor little	40.1	130.33	223	102.41
Often or very often	32.8	108.18	177	97.44
Total	100	133.74	554	108.50	13.303	0.000
P36. Of the items listed below, which do you think you will encounter during your residency?
P36.1. Work overload, long working hours and double shifts
Never/little	8.2	101.36	45	105.34
Neither often nor little	22.3	117.41	123	103.37
Often or very often	69.6	142.34	387	108.38
Total	100	133.41	555	107.77	4,736	0.009
P36.2. Responsibilities and duties superior to those of a first-year resident
Never/little	12.5	96.12	68	85.37
Neither often nor little	17.6	103.25	95	101.74
Often or very often	69.9	147.30	392	109.83
Total	100	133.41	555	107.77	11.465	0.000
P36.3. Boredom/monotony
Never/little	59.3	121.42	328	104.59
Neither often nor little	29.0	138.57	161	107.54
Often or very often	11.7	181.11	66	111.31
Total	100	133.41	555	107.77	8.927	0.000

Source: study E0817 IESA-CSIC.