• Abeer F Almarzouki.
• Department of Clinical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• Postgrad Med. 2024 Apr 1; 136 (3): 312317312-317.

BackgroundOptimal cognitive functions, including working memory (WM), are crucial to enable trainee physicians to perform and excel in their clinical practice. Several risk factors, including on-call shifts, poor mental health, burnout, and sleep problems, can impair clinical practice in trainee physicians, potentially through cognitive impairment; however, these associations have not been fully explored.ObjectiveThis study investigated the effect of on-call shifts on WM among trainee physicians and its association with burnout, depression, anxiety, affect, and sleep.Materials And MethodsThis cross-sectional study involved 83 trainee physicians (45% male). We measured demographic and training-related factors including on-call shifts and working hours. We also assessed depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), both state and trait anxiety (STAI total score), burnout (OLBI total score), positive and negative affect scores (PANAS), and sleep disturbances (PSQI total score). WM was evaluated using spatial working memory (SWM) strategy scores that reflected performance and total error counts.ResultsTrainee physicians with more on-calls per month had significantly worse depressive symptoms, burnout scores, and sleep, as well as more negative affect. While controlling for covariates, being on-call more times per month was significantly associated with worse WM. Worse depressive symptoms and burnout scores were also significantly associated with impaired WM.ConclusionWorking more on-call shifts is associated with compromised WM. Trainee physicians who experienced more depressive symptoms and burnout had worse WM.

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