Does Rigorous Medical Training Have a Psychosocial Impact on Medical Students?

Medical students undergo rigorous and lengthy medical residency training. However, the psychosocial impact of such training on the students is rarely discussed. To find whether such medical training prevents students from building a family, US researchers surveyed 3,300 medical students and physicians. In the survey, 60% of the participants mentioned that they delayed having children due to the required work hours of the residency training. Over half of them regretted taking that decision.

Additionally, the participants reported six times more relationship strain than non-physicians. Furthermore, about one-fifth of the participants were diagnosed with infertility . They were also four times greater in receiving therapies, including assisted reproductive technology. The study showed that medical students and physicians delayed building their families until completing their medical…