Stage-specific psychological experiences of resident trainees in standardized residency training: a qualitative study

Standardized Residency Training (SRT) is mandatory in China’s physician training. However, Resident Trainees commonly face heavy workloads, low remuneration, ambiguous professional identity, psychological stress, and burnout. Few studies have compared their psychological experiences across training stages. Because challenges and support needs vary by stage, clarifying stage-specific experiences is essential for targeted interventions, improved training quality, and Resident Trainees’ mental health. To explore the psychological experiences and stage-specific differences among Resident Trainees at different stages of training, thereby providing a basis for developing targeted, stage-specific psychological support systems. This study employed a descriptive phenomenological design. Purposive sampling was used to select 33 Resident Trainees at different stages of training from a tertiary Grade A hospital for semi-structured interviews. Colaizzi’s seven-step method was used to analyze the data and derive themes. Three core themes were identified:1) Phased accumulation of self-efficacy: from positive experiences to stable maintenance. 2) Inverse psychological experiences of well-being and job burnout: declining well-being and the emergence of burnout. 3) Professional identity and development: from idealistic identification to realistic confusion. The psychological experiences of Resident Trainees during residency training are phased rather than unitary or static.Accordingly, standardized residency training management should both cultivate clinical competence and establish a phased psychological support system, so as to optimize Resident Trainees’ psychological experiences and promote positive psychological feelings. Not applicable.