N. Leigh1, M. Passeri1, G. Kim1 1St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center,Surgery,New York, NY, USA
Introduction: Millennial surgeons have unique traits which can be targeted with novel educational techniques. A “flipped classroom” model of education, consisting of self-directed learning with an interactive resident-run educational conference, was instituted to supplement traditional lecture-based teaching methods. We hypothesized that tailoring education to millenial learners would improve American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) scores.
Methods: A single center prospective study was conducted at Mt. Sinai St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, New York. All residents enrolled in the Mt. Sinai St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (AGCME)-accredited General Surgery Residency Program during academic years 2015-17 (n=28) were included. A weekly conference, termed General Surgery Club, tailored specifically towards the characteristics of millennial learners and run entirely by residents, was introduced to the existing curriculum in 2015. Membership was voluntary. Self-directed reading was encouraged. Sessions were moderated by resident volunteers. Post-session summary guides were written by residents and left open for collaborative updates on our cloud system. ABSITE percentile scores from 2015 were compared to 2016 and 2017, before and after the introduction of General Surgery Club.
Results: There was an improvement in members’ ABSITE percentile scores from 2015 to 2017 after the introduction of General Surgery Club. Members, when compared with non-members, achieved better overall scores in 2016 (66% vs. 60%) and 2017 (69% vs. 42%). They demonstrated continued improvement with an overall percentile increase of 19% compared with a 16% decrease in non-members. 83% of members compared with 44% of non-members had 1 or more improving scores.
Conclusion: The addition of a resident-run conference tailored to millennial learners, was associated with a significant and consistent improvement in ABSITE scores over a 3 year period.
