Perspectives of Residency Training Amid The COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact on Mental Health and Training  

Background: COVID-19 has affected the training programs and the clinical schedules of surgical wards in many countries, including Iran. Also, the continuous involvement with COVID-19 patients has caused stress in health care workers; among them residents are on the frontlines of care delivery. Therefore, we designed a study to assess mental effects of these circumstances, and the effects on General Surgery and Obstetrics & Gynecology residency training. Methods We used a questionnaire consisting of 47 questions about personal, familial and demographic characteristics; training activities, and mental effects of COVID-19. Results The answer rate was 63.5%. (127 filled questionnaires). Around 96% of the residents had emotional problems, 85.9% were highly stressed about contracting COVID-19, 81.3% were worried about transferring it to their family; and 78% believed that their residency training had been impaired. Conclusion Overall, our study shows the negative impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and on the training of residents. We propose that appropriate emotional support and suitable planning for compensation of training deficits is provided for residents.