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Medical grand rounds: alive and well and living in Canada
1Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal.
Insights
Canadian medical grand rounds remain a primary teaching activity. Most respondents believe their quality and attendance have improved or stayed the same, with suggestions for enhancing learning impact.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Continuing Medical Education
- Academic Medicine
Background:
- Grand rounds are a cornerstone of medical education in teaching hospitals.
- Recent concerns suggest a decline in the quality of these educational sessions.
- The status of grand rounds in Canada required evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the current state and perceived quality of grand rounds in Canadian teaching hospitals.
- To identify trends in attendance and content focus.
- To gather suggestions for improving the educational impact of grand rounds.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was distributed to chairmen of medicine departments at 53 Canadian teaching hospitals.
- A 91% response rate was achieved, with input from chairmen, senior members, and chief residents.
- Data analysis focused on perceived quality, attendance trends, and content concerns.
Main Results:
- Grand rounds are confirmed as the principal teaching exercise in Canadian departments of medicine.
- 98% of respondents perceived grand round quality as improved or unchanged.
- 75% reported stable or improved attendance over the past decade; 25% noted a decline.
- A minority (10%) expressed concern over a reduced emphasis on patient-related topics.
Conclusions:
- Canadian medical grand rounds continue to be a vital educational modality.
- Perceptions of quality and attendance are largely positive, despite some concerns.
- Specific suggestions were provided to enhance the learning impact and effectiveness of grand rounds.
Abstract:
Grand rounds have long been the principal educational activity of departments of medicine at teaching hospitals. Several recent articles have suggested that there has been a general deterioration in the quality of grand rounds. To evaluate their status in Canada we mailed a questionnaire to the chairmen of the departments of medicine at the 53 Canadian teaching hospitals; of the 48 responses received (91%), 38 were from chairmen, 5 were from senior department members, and 5 were from chief residents. The results indicated that grand rounds continued to be the principal teaching exercise of the departments. Of the respondents 98% felt that the quality had improved or stayed the same. The overall attendance was considered to have improved or remained unchanged for the past decade by 75%; 25% thought that it had declined. The diminished emphasis on patient-related topics concerned 10%. The respondents gave numerous suggestions, which should help organizers to improve the impact of grand rounds on learning.