Observation of clinical teaching: interest in a faculty development program for surgeons

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Faculty Development

Background:

• Observation of clinical teaching is crucial for enhancing faculty skills.
• The process of being observed can be intimidating for educators.
• Assessing faculty interest is key to implementing effective teaching programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the interest of faculty within an academic surgical department in an Observation of Teaching Program.
• To identify preferred methods of observation and feedback for clinical teaching.

Main Methods:

• An electronic survey was distributed to 46 faculty members with teaching responsibilities.
• The survey assessed interest in participating in peer, expert, and cross-disciplinary physician observation.
• Faculty were also asked about their interest in observing peers.

Main Results:

• 87% of faculty responded to the survey, with 75% expressing interest in the program.
• High interest was shown in expert review (100%), peer review (90%), surgeon review (87%), and cross-disciplinary review (83%).
• 48% of interested faculty wanted to observe others; reasons for non-participation included time constraints and perceived ineffectiveness.

Conclusions:

• Surgical faculty are receptive to being observed and receiving feedback on their clinical teaching.
• Observation, particularly with expert and peer input, is a valuable methodology for faculty development in surgery.
• Academic surgical departments should consider incorporating observation into their professional development strategies.