How to give resident physicians the peer support they need

During the toughest times in residency training, a physician’s best ally may be standing right next to them—a colleague who knows better than most what they are going through. And it’s up to organizations to create the kind of environment that fosters those valuable connections.

“Residency is really stressful, and having a group of people whom you trust, who are going through the same experience that you are, makes you feel far less isolated,” said John Andrews, MD, the AMA’s vice president of graduate medical education innovations. “There's a camaraderie in residency that's really valuable and quite important to your well-being and your mental health during residency.”

In this article, AMA members will learn:

• What AMA survey data says about resident physicians’ experiences and the value of peer support.
• The connection between peer support and resident physician well-being.
• How to create space that encourages connections among physician co-residents.
• Where the challenges are in resident physician peer support.