Staying Human during Residency Training

Staying Human during Residency Training by Allan Peterkin is a must-read for residents and residents-to-be. Written by a psychiatrist in Canada, it addresses all the scary non-medical issues for residents: anxiety, depression, substance abuse, relationship stressors, suicide, harassment, and burnout. But more than that, it covers these topics in a surprisingly scientific and evidence-based fashion; he goes beyond the touchy-feely to engage the scientific-minded reader with numbers, statistics, and studies. We learn that 30% of emergency room residents have PTSD symptoms, 37-40% of residents report problems with their spouse or lover, 31% of doctors under 40 would not have gone to medical school if they had known what they know now, and the average U.S. resident salary works out to be less than $5 an hour.

This is a scary reality. Dr. Peterkin then delves into ways of ameliorating this experience, to temper down those stresses of residency so we can focus on patient care and education. He discusses how to find balance, stay healthy, maintain good relationships, work with colleagues, learn and teach, and remain professional. I found this book to be quite enlightening and relevant to me. He writes in a empathetic, clear, and authoritative way to openly discuss residency life and how to approach it.

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