COMET Study Tracking Career Paths and Mental Health in General Internal Medicine Residents Across Swiss Hospitals

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to understand the career paths, well-being, and mental health of residents training in general internal medicine GIM in Switzerland. It addresses the challenge of an aging population needing more GIM physicians while fewer young doctors choose this specialty. By tracking residents professional and personal trajectories over time, the study seeks to fill gaps in knowledge about how factors like stress, burnout, and work-life balance influence career decisions. Participants in this prospective, multicenter cohort study are GIM residents from three Swiss hospitals who provide direct patient care. They will complete annual online surveys for at least five years covering demographics, job characteristics, career intentions, well-being, mental health, and physical health. The study evaluates changes in psychological distress, professional fulfillment, burnout, depression, and career intentions. It also compares residents mental health and empathy scores with those of the general population and medical students. During their participation, residents will fill out detailed questionnaires yearly, including validated scales on stress, burnout, empathy, physical activity, fatigue, and sleep. Researchers will monitor career trajectories and mental health outcomes through these surveys. The study will last at least five years with annual assessments, enabling a comprehensive view of residents experiences and professional development over time.

The COMET Study: a Prospective COhort of MEdical residenTs to Assess Professional, Personal and Psychological Trajectories of Residents in General Internal Medicine