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The ICU has been considered a psychologically stressful environment. Although numerous studies have investigated this stress in ICU nurses, virtually none have examined how stressful the ICU is for physicians. This prospective study compares housestaff physicians' ratings of stress in the ICU to other medical-surgical rotations. The 26 physicians in this study rated the ICU significantly less negatively than other rotations. There was also a trend to rate the ICU more positively. Prolonged care of patients with multisystem failure and a poor prognosis was the most frequently described source of stress. Humor, communication, and activities outside the ICU were the most frequently noted coping techniques.