From challenge to growth: Exploring physician narratives of patient complaints during residency.

Introduction: Patient complaints are an important feedback mechanism for healthcare quality improvement and medical education, and their impact on postgraduate medical trainees (residents) remains under‐explored. This study investigates the narratives of physicians who received formal patient compla...

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Publicado en:Medical Education Vol. 59; no. 11; pp. 1204 - 1214
Autores principales: McDougall, Allan, Claudio, Fernanda, Pound, Catherine, Pacheco, Karen, Fortier, Jacqueline, Garber, Gary
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Nov2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Nov2025
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        10.1111/medu.15716
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        atl: From challenge to growth: Exploring physician narratives of patient complaints during residency.
      aug:
        au:
          McDougall, Allan
          Claudio, Fernanda
          Pound, Catherine
          Pacheco, Karen
          Fortier, Jacqueline
          Garber, Gary
        affil: The Canadian Medical Protective Association, Ottawa Ontario,, Canada
      sug:
        subj:
          Physician Attitudes
          Narratives
          Internship and Residency
          Professional Development
          Patient Attitudes
          Feedback
          Human
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Descriptive Statistics
          Conceptual Framework
          Data Analysis Software
          Mentorship
          Stigma
          Stress, Psychological
          Professional Identity
      ab: Introduction: Patient complaints are an important feedback mechanism for healthcare quality improvement and medical education, and their impact on postgraduate medical trainees (residents) remains under‐explored. This study investigates the narratives of physicians who received formal patient complaints during residency, focusing on how these incidents influenced their professional development and career trajectories. Methods: Using narrative inquiry, we conducted semi‐structured interviews with 35 physicians who experienced formal patient complaints during their residency. We applied Ricoeur's narrative theory to explore the impact of these complaints on physicians. Results: The analysis revealed two main elements of participants' narratives: emplotment and refiguration. During emplotment, participants initially constructed narratives centered on distress and stigma, often positioning themselves as confused and isolated. This process frequently involved a reevaluation of their professional capabilities and identity as an effective physician. Refiguration demonstrated how participants integrated these experiences into their long‐term professional identities, revealing impacts on clinical practices, specialty choices and career paths. Despite initial challenges, many participants reframed their early complaint experiences as catalysts for professional growth, particularly in areas such as communication and collegial support. Conclusions: Patient complaints during residency can have a destabilizing effect on professional identity formation. However, supportive educational environments and adequate mentorship can mitigate these effects and enhance learning. This study underscores the need for medical education programmes to incorporate systems that support residents in effectively addressing and learning from patient complaints while maintaining a focus on patient safety and quality improvement. How do patient complaints during residency shape physicians' careers? New #MedEd research by @phdhpe & @CMPAmembers reveals the long‐term impacts on professional identity & practice
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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