Ward Rounds With or Without an Attending Physician: How Interns Learn Most Successfully

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pediatrics
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• General pediatric ward rounds are a cornerstone of medical training.
• Understanding the educational impact of attending physician presence is crucial for optimizing intern learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore pediatric interns' perspectives on the educational value of general pediatric ward rounds.
• To compare rounding experiences with and without an attending physician.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing individual interviews with pediatric interns.
• Grounded theory methodology and constant comparative analysis of interview data.
• Iterative coding and thematic organization of qualitative findings.

Main Results:

• Four key themes emerged: content learned, learning environment, learning and work integration, and learning methods.
• Senior residents focused on practical skills; attending physicians provided broader concepts and literature integration.
• Rounds without attending physicians fostered informal, collaborative learning; rounds with attending physicians, though uncomfortable, enhanced learning.
• Patient care tasks offered experiential learning but were sometimes perceived as hindrances to learning during rounds.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric interns' learning content and methods vary significantly based on attending physician presence during ward rounds.
• Educational value exists in both attending-present and attending-absent rounding structures, suggesting a need for diverse learning experiences.