Survive residency.
With no time, money, or power.
It’s not some out of touch wellness guide.
Used by residents at
An award-winning project created by a resident that acknowledges the real drivers of burnout and offers practical solutions supported by data.
Not mandated, out of touch, tone-deaf, one-size-fits-all, or just a way to check off the box for wellness
Benefits to You
Keep your significant other significant
Be more alert and learn faster
Be less anxious and stressed
Find ways to study when there is no time
Exercise without a gym
Score higher on ITE and pass the boards
Book (+ audiobook!)
An easy to read step-by-step manual that offers practical solutions.
An Assessment & Plan
- Part I: Problems
- Part II: Solutions
- Part III: Blueprint for Making Changes at Your Program
Written by a resident
Daniel S Orlovich MD
Resident
Hi! 
I’m a resident at Stanford. I decided it was time residents controlled the narrative about burnout. And, that the current way of addressing wellness could be improved. So, I made this project.
Podcast
Real talk.
Solving Resident Burnout is...
Resources
Delivered via email.
Curated manuscripts
Stay up to date with the latest studies.
Motivational texts
Personalized (not generic) messages.
Expert insight
Practical tips from other programs.
Ability to curbside me
Access one-on-one support
Resident stories
You’re not alone.
Powerpoints
Topics as voted by you.
Access the resources.
Emailed infrequently because we all hate emails.
Yes. It has been called an ‘epidemic.’
- A little more than one in five residents wouldn’t pursue medicine if given the opportunity to relive their career
- Between 40-80% of residents are burned out.
- 92% of program directors underestimated the amount of burnout.
- Residents who were awake more than 19 hours were found to have an equivalence to a Blood Alcohol Level (BAC) of 0.1%. This is considered legally drunk. Not one single state would allow them to drive.
- Program directors spend up to 5-20 hours per month for an average of 3 months of more with a struggling resident and rate it as ‘challenging.’
- About one physician kills himself every single day. This is six times higher than the national average. To put it in perspective that is the equivalent of 3 medical school graduating classes every year. (Note: this stat is not related specifically to residents but physicians in general)
- Suicide is the number one cause of death for male and female residents between 25-34 years of age.
If what we have is already working we wouldn’t have an ‘epidemic’ of burnout. All programs can gain insight or a new strategy.
Quite easy, actually. They are practical. So you can do them right now.
The system is broken. Don’t despair though because residents and programs can do something about it. The system won’t change today but residents can do something. That is liberating. There is something no matter how minor that can make a residents day better today. The first step is equipping residents with a way to articulate what is going on. The second step is giving residents practical solutions backed by data and delivered in an engaging way. The final step is to work with programs.
Does it matter if …
- your program doesn’t have a terrible reputation?
- applicants on interview can pick up on a bad vibe?
- you go unmatched or way down the rank list?
- there is sagging morale?
- residents are in remediation?
- employers feel that residents aren’t well trained?
- patients get good care?
- other programs are already implementing some of these strategies?
- attendings have to do even more throughout the day to compensate for disengaged residents?
That’s fair. You can listen to the podcast, sign up for the newsletter, or connect with me on email (daniel@solvingresidentburnout.com), Twitter (@SolvngResBrnout) or Reddit (u/SolvngResidntBurnout)
Wellness programs when done well have the potential to produce results. Wellness programs in name only fail to hit the mark. It is not about if there is a wellness program – it is more about how it is implemented.
Me? Nope! 
I’ve found certain habits and developed a certain perspective over time. I don’t want to hoard this insight, though. So that’s why I made this. To help unlock the results for other residents 🔓
1. Most residents aren’t whiners.
2. Wellness is a misunderstood term.
3. There are better ways to conceptualize wellness.
4. Resident burnout is an epidemic.
5. What causes burnout may not be readily apparent
6. Burnout can be organized into four domains – physical, mental, emotional and moral.
7. The system, not residents, is the main driver of burnout. But the system won’t change today.
8. This focuses on practical solutions.
9. Every resident can pick up insight from this book and apply it.
10. This is just the start of the discussion.
Agreed. That is why I made it into an audiobook and also offer a podcast.
Reach out to me.
No. I really enjoy taking care of patients. I plan to stay in clinical medicine for a long time. This project helps to keep me engaged when I am taking care of patients. Research from 3M and Google show employees who have up to 20% are more productive, more satisfied and feel like they contribute more to the field.