In the high-stakes world of medical residency, where the demands of clinical training meet personal and professional growth, the psychological well-being of residents often forms the cornerstone of effective patient care and sustainable career development. A groundbreaking study by Peroš and Buljan, published in BMC Psychology in 2025, delves deep into this critical nexus by exploring the intricate relationship between resilience, perfectionism, and job satisfaction among medical residents in Croatia. This cross-sectional study sheds light on how these psychological factors intertwine to influence the lived experiences of residents in a field characterized by relentless pressure and constant challenges.
Medical residency is notoriously one of the most challenging phases in a physician’s career. Residents are not only expected to absorb enormous amounts of clinical knowledge and procedural expertise but also navigate emotionally taxing scenarios and copious responsibilities. The interplay between resilience—the capacity to bounce back from adversity—and perfectionism, defined as the innate striving for flawlessness, emerges as a pivotal axis for understanding residents’ professional satisfaction or lack thereof. Peroš and Buljan’s research provides a nuanced, data-driven perspective on how these traits impact job satisfaction, a key predictor of long-term career success and personal well-being.
Resilience, often hailed as a psychological buffer, plays a vital role in the capacity of medical residents to cope with the exhaustive demands of their training. The study rigorously examines resilience through validated psychometric tools, linking higher resilience scores to increased job satisfaction. This suggests that residents who can effectively manage stress and recover from setbacks tend to perceive their work environment more positively. Incorporating resilience-building interventions in residency curricula could therefore prove transformative, not only enhancing individual welfare but also improving patient outcomes by nurturing a more engaged and purposeful workforce.
On the other hand, perfectionism—while often socially valorized in medicine as an indicator of meticulousness and high standards—has a paradoxical relationship with psychological health. The study distinguishes between adaptive perfectionism, which can motivate excellence, and maladaptive perfectionism, which is characterized by fear of failure and excessive self-criticism. By dissecting these subtypes, Peroš and Buljan identify how maladaptive perfectionism correlates with decreased job satisfaction, likely stemming from chronic stress and burnout. This insight calls for a critical reevaluation of performance expectations within medical training environments.
Job satisfaction itself serves as both a psychological outcome and an organizational metric. In medical residency, satisfaction is influenced not only by workload and resource availability but also by intrinsic personality traits. The study’s nuanced approach in quantifying job satisfaction highlights its multifactorial nature, capturing emotional responses, cognitive evaluations, and behavioral intentions toward one’s workplace. This comprehensive framing provides a robust platform for tailored interventions aimed at improving residents’ work experiences and reducing attrition rates in healthcare systems.
An innovative aspect of this research is its cross-sectional design, encompassing a representative sample of Croatian medical residents across various specialties and institutions. This approach enables broad generalizability within the national context and offers a snapshot of current psychosocial dynamics. Despite the inherent limitations of cross-sectional studies in establishing causality, the findings act as a critical baseline for longitudinal research aimed at tracking changes over the course of residency.
Furthermore, the cultural dimension embedded in this study cannot be overstated. Croatia’s healthcare environment, with its unique sociopolitical and economic factors, shapes the lived reality of medical residents differently than in other countries. By situating the study within this specific context, Peroš and Buljan contribute valuable comparative data to the global discourse on medical education and mental health, enriching our understanding of how systemic factors intersect with individual psychological traits.
The methodological rigor of the study is reflected in its use of standardized instruments to measure resilience (such as the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), perfectionism (via the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale), and job satisfaction (utilizing established satisfaction surveys customized for healthcare settings). Such precision in measurement enhances the reliability of findings and provides a replicable framework for future research in different cultural or institutional contexts.
A particularly compelling narrative emerges when considering how resilience can potentially moderate the negative effects of perfectionism on job satisfaction. The data reveal that residents exhibiting high resilience are better equipped to manage the detrimental aspects of maladaptive perfectionism, thereby maintaining a more stable and positive professional outlook. This intricate balancing act between psychological traits invites a paradigm shift in medical training—one that valorizes emotional intelligence and mental health alongside clinical competence.
The implications of these findings are far-reaching. Notably, residency programs must recognize the dual-edged nature of perfectionism and proactively cultivate resilience through targeted training modules, mentorship programs, and mental health resources. Institutional policies emphasizing balanced workloads, constructive feedback, and safe spaces for discussing psychological distress could alleviate the pressures that commonly erode satisfaction and well-being.
Moreover, this research underscores the need for personalized approaches in medical education—a one-size-fits-all model may not suffice in nurturing optimal job satisfaction. By identifying residents prone to maladaptive perfectionism, educators and program directors can tailor support mechanisms to mitigate the risk of burnout, depression, and career dissatisfaction.
In light of modern healthcare’s increasing complexity and demand, the insights offered by Peroš and Buljan arrive at a pivotal moment. Global medical communities are witnessing alarming rates of burnout, attrition, and mental health crises among trainees. This study’s evidence-based recommendations for fostering resilience while managing perfectionistic tendencies could serve as a blueprint for enhancing the well-being and retention of future physicians.
Interestingly, the study also suggests a potential feedback loop where higher job satisfaction could reinforce resilient behaviors and temper maladaptive perfectionism. This recursive dynamic highlights the importance of early interventions during residency, creating a virtuous cycle that sustains professional fulfillment and personal growth throughout a physician’s career.
From a research perspective, these findings open several avenues for future inquiry. Longitudinal studies examining how resilience and perfectionism evolve post-residency, their impact on physician burnout rates, and patient care quality could profoundly influence healthcare policy and educational reforms. Additionally, exploring the neurobiological correlates of these psychological traits may pave the way for integrative interventions combining cognitive-behavioral techniques and neurofeedback.
This study’s contribution is not merely academic but profoundly practical. By illuminating how intrinsic psychological factors interplay with the external demands of residency, it empowers stakeholders across the medical education spectrum—from policy makers to educators and frontline supervisors—to enact meaningful changes that improve both human and clinical outcomes.
In conclusion, the association between resilience, perfectionism, and job satisfaction as explored in Croatian medical residents offers invaluable insights with global relevance. As the medical community grapples with the challenges of training tomorrow’s physicians in an ever-demanding landscape, this research articulates a clear imperative: fostering mental resilience while managing the pitfalls of perfectionism is essential to nurturing satisfied, effective, and sustainable medical professionals.
Subject of Research:
The study investigates the relationship between resilience, perfectionism, and job satisfaction among medical residents in Croatia.
Article Title:
Association between resilience, perfectionism and job satisfaction among medical residents in Croatia: a cross-sectional study
Article References:
Peroš, A., Buljan, I. Association between resilience, perfectionism and job satisfaction among medical residents in Croatia: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03692-y
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