Professional stress during medical internship

Abstract EN

One hundred and one interns who completed internship during the year 2000 were surveyed by questionnaire to study the factors, manifestations and management strategies of stresses affecting them.

Factors considered included personal and family, work and working conditions, training and interpersonal matters. Approximately one out of three interns reported significant stress from not having enough time for family, insecurity about future and career, long working hours, frequent duties, lack of encouragement and supervision, lack of feedback, no one caring, and discriminations in gender and evaluations. Marriage did not seem to add significant stress during training. It is concluded that medical internship is a stressful training period and it is suggested that support groups or advisory committees are needed to help and counsel interns about professional stress and provide psychological assistance when necessary.