# Exploring the experiences of residents in managing multiple roles at tertiary care hospitals of Punjab, Pakistan

## TL;DR

This study explores how medical residents in Pakistan manage multiple roles at hospitals and how these roles affect their health and training.

## Contribution

The study is the first qualitative exploration of residents' multiple roles and their impacts in Pakistan.

## Key findings

- Residents handle clinical services, teaching, record management, logistics, and ward operations alongside training.
- Multiple roles negatively affect residents' health, academics, and patient safety.
- Challenges include security issues, high patient load, politics, and limited resources.

## Abstract

No qualitative studies have explored the multiple roles undertaken by medical residents in Pakistan or the impact these roles have on them. This study explores the experiences of medical residents in managing their multiple roles at tertiary care hospitals in Punjab, Pakistan.

An exploratory qualitative study was conducted from February 2023-2024. Using maximum variation purposive sampling, 12 residents across various specialties from four tertiary care hospitals of Punjab, Pakistan were interviewed after informed consent. The data were transcribed, and thematic analysis was performed.

The participants reported being involved in providing clinical services, teaching, management of patient records, logistics, and ward operations alongside their training. These multiple roles had a profound impact on their health, academics, research, and provision of services during the training. They also highlighted some challenges and enablers towards performing these roles and responsibilities, e.g., security issues, patient load, politics, and resources.

Postgraduate residents perform multiple roles during their training, which impacts their health, academics, and patient safety. There is a need for professional development of the supervisors and residents to ensure that the training and development are not overshadowed by ancillary responsibilities. A structured training program with clear job descriptions, contracts, orientation, and continuous assessment may help improve the experiences of residents.