BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Residents' stress and burnout is a concern among family medicine residency programs. Our objective is to assess stress management options available to family medicine residents. METHODS: In 2012, the Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA) e-mailed a survey to US residency directors. Questions were asked on four types of stress management programming (SMP): (1) access to counselors, social workers, or mental health providers, (2) residency support or Balint groups, (3) stress management lectures or workshops, and (4) residency retreats. We assessed how many programs contained all four types of SMP and their relationship to the following topics: stress management techniques for patients, spirituality, mind/body techniques, and self-care for residents. RESULTS: Of the 212 responses, 29% reported having all four types of SMP. Eighty-three percent reported stress management lectures or workshops, and 79% reported residency retreats. Smaller and mid-size residencies (36%) and residencies in the West (36%) were more likely to have all four types of SMP. There was a correlation between having didactics, clinical rotations, and electives on stress management techniques for patient care and having stress management lectures or workshops for residents. There was statistical significance between having resident self-care curriculum and (1) having retreats and (2) stress management lectures or workshops. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to evaluate whether residency programs are providing appropriate stress management skills for residents that will improve physician wellness and patient outcomes.

CONTEXT: Little is known about the incorporation of integrative medicine (IM) and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into family medicine residency programs. OBJECTIVE: The Society for Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) approved a set of CAM/IM competencies for family medicine residencies. We hope to evaluate whether residency programs are implementing such competencies into their curriculum using an online survey tool. We also hope to assess the knowledge and attitudes of Residency Directors (RDs) on the CAM/IM competencies. DESIGN: A survey was distributed by the Council of Academic Family Medicine (CAFM) Educational Research Alliance to RDs via e-mail. The survey was distributed to 431 RDs. Of those who received it, 212 responded, giving a response rate of 49.1%. Questions assessed the knowledge and attitudes of CAM/IM competencies and incorporation of CAM/IM into the residency curriculum. RESULTS: Forty-five percent of RDs were aware of the competencies. In terms of RD attitudes, 58% reported that CAM/IM is an important component of residents' curriculum; yet, 60% report not having specific learning objectives for CAM/IM in their residency curriculum. Among all programs, barriers to CAM/IM implementation included time in residents' schedules (77%); faculty training (75%); access to CAM experts (43%); lack of reimbursement (43%); and financial resources (29%). CONCLUSIONS: While many RDs are aware of the STFM CAM/IM competencies and acknowledge their role in residence education, there are many barriers that prevent residencies from implementing the STFM CAM/IM competencies.