Evidence-based nephrology-rheumatology debates: a novel educational experience during nephrology fellowship training

Medical educators have called for novel learning methods that supplement the traditional lecture format. Fellowship education involves didactics and pedagogic strategies using a variety of learning tools in order to improve critical thinking skills. Debating is one such tool that can enhance critical thinking skill. However, to the best of our knowledge, evidence-based debating among two different internal medicine subspecialty fields during fellowship training has never been reported. In this article, we describe an innovative educational experience for trainees using the evidence-based debate format. Two teams consisting of equal number of first- and second-year nephrology and rheumatology fellows participated in our annual interdivisional debate session. Topics that have been debated over the last three annual debate sessions include management of small vessel vasculitis and lupus nephritis. To assess the educational experience of the debate session, all fellow participants were asked to complete an anonymous on-line survey following the debate. The survey consisted of several questions using a 5-point Likert scale. All fellow participants enjoyed the debate format and found this experience to be thought-provoking and to enhance their self-directed learning.