Dear editor
We have read with great interest the article by Abdulghani et al,1 in which they well documented the high prevalence of stress among the Saudi Arabian medical residents and its effects on their working efficacy and general physical health during the residency training. This important issue similarly applies in Iran. Previous surveys performed on the Iranian resident trainees revealed the increased levels of psychological and emotional disorders such as depression, anxiety, and stress among them.2–4
There are several stressors such as difficult patients, job dissatisfaction, and large number of exams, which can have negative effects on the mental health status of medical residents during their training programs.5,6 However, among the Iranian medical residents, financial problem is other most important concern that has been less discussed by the policy makers. In Iran, unfortunately, the monthly income of residents of all medical specialties is very inadequate and this forces them to think about another work besides studying for subsistence,7 whereas educational policies, like most of the countries, interdict residents from working out of their learning environment and this take many occupational opportunities from them. On the other hand, the health care reform that has been recently implemented in Iran is associated with increased referring of the patients and working pressure of the residents, without increasing their income. This problem is more considerable for residents of more stressful specialties such as general surgery, neurosurgery, and orthopedics.
Heavy workload and low income can provide serious stressful conditions for Iranian resident trainees and gradually this can be associated with burnout and dissatisfaction and have a serious negative effect on their professional functions. Therefore, it is necessary that Iranian authorities ordain the policies in order to improve the educational and financial status of residents during their residency programs, especially for more stressful specialties.
Footnotes
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this communication.
References
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