Preoperative learning goals set by surgical residents and faculty

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Operating Room Pedagogy

Background:

• The operating room (OR) is a primary teaching environment for surgical trainees.
• Shared understanding of learning goals between faculty and trainees can mitigate OR learning challenges.
• This study explores preoperative learning goals to find commonalities and barriers in intraoperative teaching.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the preoperative learning goals articulated by surgical residents and faculty.
• To identify areas of alignment and divergence in learning objectives for intraoperative teaching.
• To understand potential barriers to effective surgical education within the OR setting.

Main Methods:

• Conducted brief, structured preoperative interviews with 27 resident-faculty pairs.
• Analyzed interview responses using grounded theory to categorize learning goals.
• Compared the number and types of learning goals identified by residents and faculty.

Main Results:

• Faculty (2.4 goals) articulated more learning goals than residents (1.5 goals) (P = 0.024).
• Common goals included general procedural tasks; divergence was noted in perioperative considerations.
• Residents' goals were predominantly technical, while faculty included broader perioperative aspects.

Conclusions:

• Faculty identify more learning goals for residents than residents identify for themselves.
• Discrepancies exist in learning goals, with residents focusing on technical skills and faculty on broader considerations.
• These goal disparities may impede effective intraoperative teaching and surgical training.