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. 2022 Mar:271:82-90.
doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2021.10.024. Epub 2021 Nov 29.

All Politics Are Local: A Single Institution Investigation of the Educational Impact of Residents and Fellows Working Together

Luke V Selby  1 , Ingrid A Woelfel  1 , Mariam Eskander  1 , Xiaodong Chen  1 , Michael E Villarreal  1 , Amalia L Cochran  1 , Alan E Harzman  1 , Valerie P Grignol  2
Affiliations

All Politics Are Local: A Single Institution Investigation of the Educational Impact of Residents and Fellows Working Together

Luke V Selby et al. J Surg Res. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Most general surgery residents pursue fellowship; there is limited understanding of the impact residents and fellows have on each other's education. The goal of this exploratory survey was to identify these impacts.

Materials and methods: Surgical residents and fellows at a single academic institution were surveyed regarding areas (OR assignments, the educational focus of the team, roles and responsibilities on the team, interpersonal communication, call, "other") hypothesized to be impacted by other learners. Impact was defined as "something that persistently affects the clinical learning environment and a trainee's education or ability to perform their job". Narrative responses were reviewed until dominant themes were identified.

Results: Twenty-three residents (23/45, 51%) and 12 fellows (12/21, 57%) responded. Responses were well distributed among resident year (PGY-1:17% [4/23], PGY-2, 35% [8/23], PGY-3 26% [6/23], PGY-4 9% [2/23%], PGY-5 13% [3/23]). Most residents reported OR assignment (14/23, 61%) as the area of primary impact, fellows broadly reported organizational categories (Roles and responsibilities 33%, educational focus 16%, interpersonal communication 16%). Senior residents reported missing out on operations to fellows while junior residents reported positive impacts of operating directly with fellows. Residents of all levels reported that fellows positively contributed to their education. Fellows, senior residents, and junior residents reported positive experiences when residents and fellows operated together as primary surgeon and assistant.

Conclusions: Residents and fellows impact one another's education both positively and negatively. Case allocation concerns senior residents, operating together may alleviate this, providing a positive experience for all trainees. Defining a unique educational role for fellows and delineating team expectations may maximize the positive impacts in this relationship.

Keywords: Clinical learning environment; Fellow education; Graduate surgical education; Resident education; Surgical education; Team-based care.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure

The authors reported no proprietary or commercial interest in any product mentioned or concept discussed in this article. mmc1.docx

Figures

Fig. 1 –
Fig. 1 –
Area of highest perceived impact among residents and fellows.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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