Maddaus MA, Chipman JG, Whitson BA, Groth SS, Schmitz CC. Rotation as a course: lessons learned from developing a hybrid online/on-ground approach to general surgical resident education.
JOURNAL OF SURGICAL EDUCATION 2008;
65:112-116. [PMID:
18439531 DOI:
10.1016/j.jsurg.2007.12.006]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2007] [Revised: 12/20/2007] [Accepted: 12/21/2007] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE
To improve the consistency and the quality of resident education on clinical rotations, 5 surgical rotations (thoracic, bariatrics, surgical oncology, pediatrics, and critical care) were restructured "as courses" with learning objectives, educational activities (online and on-ground), pretests, posttests, and oral examinations.
SETTING/PARTICIPANTS
University surgical training program in a large metropolitan area, which serves approximately 65 residents per year.
METHODS
The online course management system, WebCT/VISTA (Blackboard Inc., Washington, DC), was used to build 5 online course sites. To engage and garner support from faculty, several organizational change tactics and resources were employed, such as Grand Rounds presentations, a faculty retreat, consultation and support from professional staff, and the use of residents as reviewers and codevelopers. To support resident use of the online sites, a designated education coordinator provided individual and group orientation sessions and employed weekly tracking and reminder systems; completion of pretests and posttests was mandated.
RESULTS
Between 6 and 8 learning modules were created per rotation, with over 50 reading assignments (collectively) and 45 online presentations. Since July 2006, 53 residents have completed a total of 106 rotations on these services. Preliminary results from a longitudinal study suggest that the hybrid approach is well received and effective when fully executed, but that online course materials are used by residents only if they feel that the faculty members are truly engaged and actively promoting the site.
CONCLUSIONS
Changing the culture of learning on rotation to include learning objectives, assessment, and integrated online/on-ground activities takes significant leadership, resident input, professional staff support, faculty engagement, and time.
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