Journal of medical education
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Support groups and various other supportive efforts have been reported to be a positive factor in the management of stress. In the present paper, the author reviews medical residency programs that offer support groups and have taken other steps in support of the residents' adjustment. The author suggests that residency programs might offer residents support groups that are flexible and convenient and might provide other psychological and social support. Support can be institutionalized through the provision of advisers, individual and marital counseling, and recognition of the importance of residents' emotional health and development.
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Ratings of clinical teachers in a department of medicine by medical students and residents were examined to determine whether the ratings were systematically affected by the teachers' academic rank, the level of the teachers' involvement with the trainees, the educational level of trainees (student versus resident), and the type of clerkship (elective versus required). Using 4,050 ratings of 430 faculty members and residents, the authors found no statistically significant differences among academic ranks, although the faculty members' teaching effectiveness was rated significantly higher than that of residents. Higher ratings of teaching effectiveness were associated with the teachers' greater involvement with the trainees and with teaching in elective versus required clerkships. The residents consistently rated faculty members higher than the students did.