Abstract

This descriptive study gathers and questions general evidence on the quality of life experienced by medical residents during postgraduate training. The information was obtained from five databases during a period of four months in 2014. For the most part, it highlights dozens of studies that call attention to burnout as a condition that affects the quality of life of medical residents and health workers. The emphasis on deterioration in quality of life focuses on the symptoms of professional attrition that negatively impact a person's health and their subjective sense of personal satisfaction. Although most quality-of-life scales are focused on patients, some of them could be used to assess the learning and working conditions of medical residents, so as to bring them in line with the objectives of legislation, ethics and the universal aspiration for health. The conclusion is that reconsideration is necessary, based on principles of ethics, health and organizational psychology that could benefit the physician in training and have an impact on the quality of health care.