Teaching on the run: teaching skills for surgical trainees

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Clinical Pedagogy

Background:

• Junior clinical staff, including registrars and residents, perform significant 'on the job' teaching.
• Training for consultants in teaching skills is established, but junior staff have been underserved.
• This report focuses on surgical registrars' teaching experiences and the effects of a dedicated workshop.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the teaching experiences of surgical registrars.
• To evaluate the impact of a registrar teaching workshop on their skills, confidence, and practice.

Main Methods:

• A half-day workshop was developed for surgical registrars, incorporating presentations, discussions, and practical skills sessions.
• Teaching simulations with feedback were conducted at the bedside for early clinical students.
• Pre- and post-workshop surveys assessed teaching confidence, practices, and changes over 3 months.

Main Results:

• Most registrars (34/39) were actively teaching without prior formal instruction.
• Post-workshop, over 75% reported increased confidence in their teaching abilities.
• After 3 months, most registrars enjoyed teaching more, half increased their teaching frequency, and initiated discussions on teaching with peers.

Conclusions:

• Brief, skill-focused interventions can effectively enhance junior clinical teachers' confidence and job satisfaction.
• Such workshops can increase the frequency of informal ('on the run') teaching among surgical registrars.
• Investing in junior staff teaching development is crucial for effective clinical education.