Resident Perspectives on a Wellness Program: A Qualitative Analysis.

Background and objectives: Resident physicians experience high levels of burnout and depression compared to the general population. While focus on promoting resident wellness, including required wellness programming from the Accreditation Council for General Medical Education (ACGME), has increased, research into resident perspectives on what should be included in these programs has been limited. This study aimed to evaluate resident perspectives on a wellness program at the University of Michigan Family Medicine Residency (UM FMR).

Methods: This qualitative study evaluated transcripts from a focus group and an anonymous survey of residents at UM FMR. Two authors reviewed transcripts using descriptive coding and a classical analysis strategy. All authors reached consensus on themes, which were then sent to residents for review and feedback.

Results: Six themes emerged as important to the resident wellness program: (a) program variety, (b) developing a supportive resident community, (c) workplace wellness skills development, (d) addressing basic needs, (e) options for processing difficult situations, and (f) acknowledgment of structural limitations to resident wellness.

Conclusions: This analysis of the survey revealed opportunities for improvements in this residency wellness program and also serves as a model for future studies on resident perspectives on resident wellness.