Constraints and difficulties of general practice residents: a qualitative study

Background. Caregivers' suffering has been highlighted, and medical residents are no exception. In France, around 40 % of them suffer from burnout syndrome. Aim. To explore the constraints leading to medical residents' sufferance. Methods. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews of 12 general practice residents in Grenoble. A interpretative phenomenological approach was used for the analysis. Results. Three categories emerged from the analysis: Education proposal, Relation - communication and Professionnalism. For the first, requirements of the medical studies in practice and out of practice. For the second, the construction of an identity, concessions undergone on personal life ( family life and friendship, leisure, health), psychological and emotional fatigue and relationship dimension. For the third: the responsibility in medical decisions, the constraints on their practice and the lack of recognition. Conclusion. The phenomenon appeared more complex than the frontal research of sufferance and burn out syndrome origins. Sociological approach would be necessary to complete these explorative data in the context of status suppression of medical resident in favor of postgraduate medical student.