Stress and training satisfaction among resident doctors in Nigeria: Any justification for a change in training policy?

Background: There are pointers in existing literature to the stressful nature of residency program, thereby placing training physicians at increased risk of psychological distress. Objectives: The study identified perceived stress, its sources, training satisfaction, and the associated sociodemographic characteristics among resident doctors. Materials and Methods: A total of 405 self-administered questionnaires were given to all attendees of the National Postgraduate Medical College Revision Course. The questionnaires sought information on sociodemographic variables, sources of stress, and training satisfaction. Only 20 questionnaires were not returned. Data were collated and analyzed. Results: A majority of the respondents were male (69.1%), mostly between 31 and 35 years of age. Most (80%) of the respondents were married while 51.4% had over 4 dependents. All the respondents reported a significant level of stress, and different sources of stress were identified. Only 12 (3.1%) of the respondents were satisfied with the quality of training being received in their institutions. Conclusion: Our study found residency training to be stressful for doctors and often compounded by identifiable variables as shown in this study. Such stressful experience can, in turn, have negative impacts on their physical along with mental well-being and the patient care. Thus, there is a need for relevant stakeholders to review the structure of residency program with the view of addressing “modifiable risks” of stress among would-be specialists.