C. F. McNicoll1, P. P. Patel1, P. J. Chestovich1, G. L. Allenback1, D. A. Kuhls1, J. L. Baynosa1, G. K. Shen1, J. J. Fildes1 1University Of Nevada School Of Medicine,Surgery,Las Vegas, NV, USA
Introduction:
Residents and fellows provide significant medical student clinical education during general surgery clerkships, even though they may have limited formal training as educators. The Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI) is a validated tool to assist teachers of any discipline understand their role, responsibility, and dominant and recessive teaching perspectives. This study investigated the impact of the TPI self-reflection exercise on surgical trainees’ confidence and effectiveness as educators.
Methods:
Surgical trainees at our institution completed the internet-based 45-question TPI and subsequent self-reflection exercise concerning their roles, responsibilities, and perspectives as educators. Participants completed a 17-question pre- and post-intervention survey that used 5-point Likert items to assess their attitudes, confidence, and knowledge regarding medical student education. For each resident, evaluations completed by medical students across 3 categories and on a 5-point scale were compiled for the semesters before and after the intervention. Means and differences between survey responses and evaluations were analyzed using the paired samples, independent samples, and one sample t-tests in SPSS version 23. Post hoc comparisons were made by level of training (post-graduate year 1-2 v. 3-7), gender, and age (≤ 29 v. > 29).
Results:
All participants (n=21) felt that their role in medical student education was important. Before the intervention, the majority believed that they positively impacted students’ general surgery knowledge (95%), exam results (90%), and career choice (86%). Although a majority (67%) of participants agreed that medical student evaluations are helpful in adjusting their teaching strategies, only 41% believed that students provide useful feedback. After the intervention, 76% felt confident providing an excellent educational experience, and 81% found the TPI useful in examining their teaching philosophy. However, no significant change was seen in overall confidence in teaching ability (3.67 v. 3.81, p=0.2). Senior trainees (n=12) felt more confident than juniors (4.2 v. 3.3, p=0.02) in teaching medical students, and trainees over age 29 (n=9) were more confident than younger trainees (4.2 v. 3.5, p=0.04). No significant differences in medical student evaluations of the residents were found following the intervention (4.77 v. 4.75, p=0.8).
Conclusion:
Surgical residents and fellows acknowledge their heavy involvement in medical student education, and strongly believe that they positively impact students. The majority of trainee educators seek helpful evaluations to improve their teaching and found the TPI to be useful in examining their teaching philosophy. However, the resident’s average teaching performance did not appear to change following the intervention, as measured by medical student evaluations. Larger studies may define the TPI’s effects in improving medical student education.