Comparing Resident and Program Director Perspectives on Wellness Curricula: A CERA Study

Introduction: Mitigating the stress of graduate medical education has been the focus of residency leadership in the United States. This study examined family medicine (FM) resident and program director (PD) satisfaction with current wellness curricula, including perceptions of availability of resources and emphasis on well-being.

Methods: The Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance administered online surveys to PDs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, US-based FM residencies, and resident American Academy of Family Physicians members from April to May 2021. The present study included an assessment of wellness curriculum implementation using the Wellness Element Count (WEC), a satisfaction rating with wellness programming, and a single question assessing perceived changes in emphasis on wellness during COVID-19.

Results: A total of 242 residents (5% response rate) and 263 PDs (42% response rate) completed the survey. Residents reported lower WEC indicators compared to PDs (<.001). Overall, 67.8% of resident respondents were satisfied with their program's wellness efforts, compared to 89.3% of PDs ( <.001). Perceived emphasis on wellness curricula in the program was associated with greater resident satisfaction (OR=2.75, <.05); less emphasis on wellness was associated with less resident satisfaction (OR=0.15, <.001).

Conclusions: Residents reported overall lower perceived availability and satisfaction with program wellness efforts compared to PDs, suggesting a disparity between perspectives. Ongoing efforts should be directed at encouraging use of available wellness resources and supporting a culture of well-being.