Development and early reach of a podcast-based innovation to support medical residents' personal and professional development.

Abstract

Despite the use of structured competency frameworks and supporting educational tools, medical residents often continue to struggle with personalising their learning, managing feedback, and balancing professional demands with personal well-being. These persistent challenges suggest that conventional support systems may not fully address the nuanced needs of residents, contributing to feelings of disconnection and stress during training. The Resident Talks Podcast was developed to provide residents with accessible insights and practical tools to support their personal and professional development, particularly in areas such as work-life balance, stress management, and feedback integration. The podcast was developed in the Netherlands by a research group studying EPA-based residency training. It was inspired by insights from their qualitative studies and shaped in collaboration with residents. Social media engagement ensured the content remained relevant to their evolving needs. Topics ranged from professional identity, feedback culture and mental health to more sensitive or underrepresented issues such as pregnancy, diversity and addiction. Each 30-minute episode was distributed across platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts to maximise accessibility. To date, the podcast has released 21 episodes and garnered over 14,700 downloads. Feedback highlights its practical value and relevance in addressing issues that are not always openly discussed in formal training. The Resident Talks Podcast demonstrates the potential of innovative media to supplement resident support systems, addressing personal and professional challenges in a flexible and accessible way. Further research is needed to evaluate whether and how this format provides meaningful support in daily residency practice.