Residency is an extremely exciting time of life. It is the opportunities for you to apply the knowledge you have acquired in medical school and develop the skills you will need for practice. However, it can also be a time of stress. The possible causes of stress are multiple. They include personal and family issues, long hours, illness, sleep deprivation, exam stress, career uncertainty, reduced contact and support from family, friends, and partners, anxieties related to professional competency, worries about patients, issues related to job search and beyond.
Many residents who would benefit from available services to assist with the management of stress do not avail themselves of these resources. This document has been developed to assist you in accessing the resources that are available to you. These resources include family physicians that will accept residents into their practices, The Professional Association of Internes and Residents (PAIRO) Hotline, services available to you at Queen's University and additional information that may be beneficial. The issue of intimidation and Harassment is also addressed here for Queen's University and the School of Medicine.
This section of our website provides information to residents on the following topics:
I encourage you to approach your program director, faculty advisor or me at the first sign of any difficulty so that we can help you access whatever assistance you feel might be helpful or make adjustments to your program to improve your situation. Our experience demonstrates that early intervention often remedies problems quickly and allows the resident to complete the program successfully and on time. It becomes more difficult if burnout or depression sets in, so please do not hesitate to use the resources we have to offer for you. The university is very sensitive to the issue of resident stress and will facilitate interventions or program modification that will reduce pressures faced by residents. Please contact me directly if you have questions or concerns or if you wish to set a meeting to discuss them.
G. Ross Walker, MD, FRCSC, FACS
