“Exploring Fatigue as a Social Construct; Implications for Work Hour Reform in Postgraduate Medical Education”

Keywords: fatigue, social constructivism, post-graduate, medical education

This thesis seeks to understand what motivates residents’ decisions around managing fatigue both within and beyond the workplace learning environment. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach to qualitative research; fatigue is introduced as a social construct, beyond a strictly physical or emotional experience. Results suggest that fatigue in medical education is constructed as a personal challenge to be overcome, rather than an occupational safety hazard as in the aviation industry. The implications of this social construct are considered alongside existing proposed solutions to the problem of trainee fatigue, including work hour reform and fatigue management plans.