Elective rotations and their impact on resident and faculty decision making

Restrictions on resident-duty work hours have led to fewer opportunities to participate in elective rotations.

To investigate the potential impact of elective rotations on resident and faculty physicians using allergy/immunology (A/I) as a model.

A questionnaire was sent to 375 primary care physicians. It assessed demographic information, training background, A/I-referral history and intentions, and perceived knowledge of A/I-specific issues.

A total of 228 surveys were returned. Resident physicians who were more senior in their training or who had taken an A/I rotation were more likely to have referred a patient to A/I in the past, more likely to refer a patient to A/I for chronic sinusitis, and more likely to report a greater knowledge of A/I topics. Faculty physicians with a history of an A/I rotation were more likely to feel knowledgeable about A/I topics.

Elective rotations are positively correlated with perceived knowledge, referral intentions, and past history of referrals.