B. P. Kline1, K. A. Mirkin1, L. R. Myers1, S. R. Allen1 1Penn State University College Of Medicine,Hershey, PA, USA
Introduction:
Surgical residents are required to master a vast and ever-increasing amount of knowledge, making it necessary to create efficient and robust methods of resident education. Our group has previously reported on a novel program encouraging both resident self-directed learning and peer-to-peer teaching, which we call Residents Teaching Residents. Our sessions are designed to focus on textbook and procedural knowledge that all surgical residents are expected to learn during their training. After implementation of the program, we now present our findings showing how knowledge is improved after a session and is retained over an extended period of time.
Methods:
Over the course of the year, we held 3 sessions of Residents Teaching Residents. Each session contained a didactic lecture on adult education theory, followed by a week in which residents were expected to prepare to take a hypothetical patient to the OR for an upcoming case. They received an H&P as well as a 10-question pre-test on the topic related to the upcoming surgery. Topics included colorectal, vascular, and trauma surgery. After the week elapsed, a faculty member led a discussion on the pre-operative work up, treatment options, and operative planning for the patient. A flipped classroom model was employed, requiring residents to study the topic before the session and come prepared to actively participate in the discussion. The residents then performed a simulated case, with emphasis placed on senior residents (PGY 3-5) leading junior residents through the procedure. After the case, a post-test was given. The test included the 10 original questions from the current session as well as 10 questions from each of the preceding sessions. Results were compared using student’s t-tests.
Results:
The average scores on the pre-test, post-test, and long term follow up test for colorectal surgery were 47%, 56%, and 61%, respectively. There was significant improvement between pre-test and post-test (p=0.0069) and between pre-test and follow up test (p=0.0478). For vascular surgery, the average scores on pre-test, post-test, and follow up test were 49%, 70%, and 56% respectively. There was significant improvement between pre-test and post-test (p<0.0001) and the improvement from pre-test to follow up test approached significance (p=0.0595). The trauma surgery topic contained a pre-test and post-test, for which scores were 65% and 69% respectively. These did not vary significantly (p=0.63). There has not yet been a follow up test for trauma.
Conclusion:
The Residents Teaching Residents curriculum at our institution emphasizes education theory, self-directed learning, near-peer teaching, and simulation based training. The data obtained from resident knowledge assessments suggest that knowledge improved with the session and was retained over a period of several months.