medical residents and car crashes

Tired Medical Residents More Likely to Be Involved in Car Crashes

Dec. 21, 2012
The demanding schedules for medical residents may make them more vulnerable to car crashes, according to a new Mayo Clinic study.

Those long, hectic work hours in the hospital may help medical residents train for their careers as doctors, but such schedules may also put them at a greater risk of being in a car crash. A poll of 300 Mayo Clinic residents reveals that 11 percent of respondents had been involved in a traffic accident after work, while 43 percent reported “narrowly avoiding” an accident.

The respondents attributed the traffic incidents to fatigue and distress, including feelings of burnout or depression.

“Just like any other field, residents need their recovery time. In order to make good decisions, physicians need to be physically and emotionally well,” said lead author Colin West, M.D., Ph.D., an internal medicine physician at Mayo Clinic. “Residents need to be rested. We don’t want them to have undue amounts of stress.”

It is well documented that medical residents often work long and grueling hours during their 3-year residencies. While intense work schedules help prepare residents to become independent doctors, West stressed it’s important that educators continually update their approach to retain the value of the training while minimizing stress and fatigue.

“The mere fact that motor vehicle incidents are common among residents brings the issues of resident fatigue, sleepiness and distress to a new level of priority,” West explained. “New interventions designed to address both resident fatigue and distress may be needed to promote patient and resident safety.”

Participants completed surveys quarterly from July 1, 2007, through July 31, 2011, during their training period. The study was funded by the Mayo Clinic Department of Medicine Program on Physician Wellbeing and was published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.

Sponsored Recommendations

April 25, 2025
Environmental audits should be a core part of your EHS program regardless of whether you choose to pursue ISO 14001 certification.
April 25, 2025
Streamline EHS inspections. Conduct, track, and manage inspections effortlessly with customizable checklists, real-time reporting, and actionable insights.
April 25, 2025
A winning business case is based on the ROI of the project. The essential first step is determining your EHS costs today.
April 25, 2025
The use of QR codes can greatly simplify observation, near miss, and incident reporting and improve the quantity and quality of data. The more safety information that is collected...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!