The Reflect, Empathize, Analyze, and Discuss in Small Groups Study: The Effect of Peer-facilitated Small Group Discussions on Burnout and Professional Development Among Physician Trainees

It is widely known that physicians have rates of suicide that are far higher than in other professions: 70% higher for men and 250-400% higher for women. While the reasoning behind why this occurs has not been well elucidated, physicians do face some unique challenges including the responsibilities of the lives of others, a duty to always uphold the highest level of a moral and ethical standard, as well as being faced with both physical and emotional exhaustion. Trainees in particular seem at risk due to the rigors of the job in addition to the stress of the rapid expansion of the physical and emotional expectations put upon them.

To the investigator's knowledge, there has yet to be any study that has shown any beneficial outcomes regarding burnout using a small group curriculum among physician trainees that also encompasses analysis of the effect of an intervention on the emotional development of trainees. However, there has been a randomized trial on the effect of small groups for junior attendings that showed decreased rates of depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and physician burnout in the intervention group. The implications of such programs on the trainee population could result in decreased levels of physician/ trainee burnout, depression, and potentially even suicide, aside from providing trainees with a sense of increased job satisfaction.

While many people in the scientific community judge the success of a physician by their medical achievements and diagnostic acumen, many patients judge the successes of their doctors based on empathy, communication, and bedside manner. While many resources exist to teach residents about the science of medicine, there does not exist to my knowledge a standardized curriculum to teach residents about the humanistic side of medicine and the importance of emotional development. Implementing such a curriculum could provide exactly what is missing from formal residency training as it stands now. Such a program that could be easily adapted to a large number of trainees would seem to be beneficial and also be in line with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)'s core competencies intended for residents to improve on patient care, professionalism, and interpersonal communication.

Peer support and teamwork seem like logical coping mechanisms for a vulnerable population that can feel isolated, such as physician trainees. The study aims to elucidate whether the peer-facilitated READ-SG method is effective at reducing burnout, as assessed by the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the gold standard in the field of assessing burnout, as well as to gauge the perceived effect of each session on participants' professional development and symptoms of burnout.