Introduction: Globally, alarming trends of psychological distress among physicians and medical students threaten patient care and professionalism. The resilience and well-being of medical educators have been recognised as key influences on learners. However, relevant research is limited, especially in Asian contexts. Using the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) model as a lens, this study explores what external and individual factors impact the resilience of Hong Kong (HK)-based medical educators.

Methods: HK-based medical educators, who taught medical students and physicians, were recruited using purposive sampling. They participated in semi-structured online interviews from 06/2021 to 04/2022. Anonymous sociodemographic information was collected through an online survey, and video recordings were transcribed anonymously. Guided by the NAM model, a hybrid deductive and inductive thematic analysis was conducted.

Results: Twenty medical educators participated. They identified factors capturing all seven NAM model domains as influencing their resilience. Of those, “organisational factors” (institutional expectations, recognition, and rewards) and “personal factors” (social support from family, friends, and colleagues, and a sense of purpose in their roles) were perceived as influencing their resilience to a similar extent, suggesting that both organisational support and individual connections can bolster medical educators’ resilience.

Discussion: This study, the first of its kind in Asia, examined the applicability and contextual suitability of the NAM model for use among HK-based medical educators. They perceived organisational and individual factors as complementary in influencing their resilience. Our findings highlighted the importance of considering both system- and individual-level aspects when designing strategies for promoting resilience in this population.