Residency is an extremely exciting time of life.  It's your opportunity 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.

I encourage you to approach your program director, faculty advisor, the Director of Resident Affairs, 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. We are 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 at karen.schultz@queensu.ca if you have questions or concerns or if you wish to set a meeting to discuss them.

If you are a resident and would like to provide me with anonymous feedback, then you should login to Elentra. A feedback form is available and you should check the box indicating that you would prefer not to disclose your identity.

Sincerely,

Karen Schultz, BSc, MD, CCFP, FCFP
Associate Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education