Evaluating General Surgical Residency Education Structure and Incorporation of the Resident as Educator Model

Prior Teaching Experience and Barriers to Effective Resident Teaching: A Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION

Resident physicians play an important role in teaching the next generation of health-care providers, yet limited research has explored factors influencing effective teaching, such as preresidency experiences or barriers within residency. This study examines residents' prior teaching experience, its correlation with teaching attitudes, and identifies potential barriers to sustained teaching engagement.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study surveyed residents across multiple specialties at a single academic center. The survey assessed preresidency teaching experience, perceived barriers, and attitudes toward teaching. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified differences in teaching attitudes based on prior teaching experience and gender.

RESULTS

Ninety-two residents across 11 specialties participated (52.2% female). Internal Medicine (28.3%) and General Surgery (26.1%) had the highest representation. Two-thirds of respondents (69.6%) had formal teaching experience before residency. After adjustment, prior teaching experience and male gender were associated with feeling prepared to teach medical students (P = 0.014 and P = 0.001). Male gender was also linked to confidence in teaching material on the wards (P = 0.015). Barriers identified included time constraints (73.9%), lack of content clarity (28.3%), and uncertainty about teaching methods (33.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Residents with prior teaching experience exhibit higher levels of preparedness, content clarity, and confidence in their teaching abilities, underscoring the importance of teaching experience before residency. This study also identified significant barriers to effective teaching, including time constraints, lack of content clarity, uncertainty about teaching methods, and perceived disinterest from medical students. Addressing these barriers is essential for optimizing medical student education.

Difficulties Faced by Residents and Clues for Solutions: A Qualitative Study

A complex healthcare system often leads to the high variety experiences among medical postgraduate students. This study aims to reveal the difficulties they face during postgraduate education, their consequences, and coping strategies. This is a phenomenological study conducted by using the maximum diversity strategy from purposive sampling methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 medical residents from different disciplines, 7 step of thematic analysis was applied. The findings were presented under the headings of challenges, outcomes, and ways of coping in line with the research questions. The sub-themes within the "postgraduate medical education" theme were "learning-teaching processes, educators, educational program, interactions, assessment, and evaluation." The sub-themes in the "culture/climate" theme were "academic environment, disruptive behaviors, rules and procedures, and hierarchy." The difficulties experienced by residents in the "health system" theme were examined under the sub-themes of "health care team, health service delivery, payment for service, patients, and their relatives." The sub-themes in the "specialization" theme were "scope and practices of the specialty area" and "perception of the specialty area." The difficulties in the "time/period" theme were analyzed under (1) senior and (2) junior sub-themes. The consequences of difficulties were examined under the themes of "deterioration in well-being and perception of incompetence." Coping with the difficulties was categorized into individual efforts, not expend effort, and getting support themes. Individual efforts were examined under the sub-themes of "sharing difficulties, communication-interaction, being a problem solver, maintaining well-being, and socializing." Sub-themes of getting support were classified as institutional and psychological. It is necessary to understand the phenomenon of "residents" difficulties'. All parts involved in PGME, should be aware that residents are in early adulthood. They have to recognize internal structural constraints, distinguish between internal and external factors. Solutions should go beyond individual development, systematic design and support mechanisms should be established at both institutional and national levels.

Perceptions of General Surgery Program Leadership and Residents on Research Sabbatical

INTRODUCTION

The incorporation of a 1-y- or 2-y research period during general surgery residency is increasingly common in many academic programs, yet often, it is heterogeneously structured and ill-defined. This survey-based observational study aimed to characterize the perceptions of general surgery program directors (PDs) and residents regarding an in-training, dedicated research sabbatical.

METHODS

Two surveys were conducted using Qualtrics software. One survey was sent to general surgery residency PDs, and the other was sent to general surgery residents currently on a research sabbatical. The primary aim of the survey was to assess the PDs' and research residents' perceptions of the research sabbatical.

RESULTS

Seven hundred and fifty-two surveys were analyzed, of which 120 were from PDs and 632 from research residents. Among the residents, 44.1% felt that the research time delayed their surgical training. Regarding research funding, 46.7% of the responding residents said that their residency program funded their research, 30.9% said they acquired funding independently, and 19.1% said that it came from a combination of residency program and independent funding. Finally, regarding how residents found their research opportunity, 42.7% said they found it independently and 53.3% said their program provided it.

CONCLUSIONS

Research sabbaticals during residency may be considered essential to academic development. However, in this survey-based study, perceptions of research time and its structure varied greatly between PDs and residents. An intentional push toward developing guidelines for research sabbaticals may benefit residency program leadership and residents.