A Needs Assessment for a Longitudinal Emergency Medicine Intern Curriculum

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine Training

Background:

• Emergency medicine (EM) programs face challenges in standardizing core content for residents with diverse backgrounds.
• Traditional lecture-based conferences are increasingly found to be less effective and engaging for current trainees.
• Millennial learners may benefit from alternative educational approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a needs assessment for a longitudinal intern curriculum tailored to millennial emergency medicine residents.
• To identify preferred educational formats and content scope for incoming residents.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to residents across six EM programs in the Chicago area.
• The survey assessed resident opinions on the concept, format, and scope of a longitudinal intern curriculum.

Main Results:

• A 51% response rate (153/300) was achieved.
• 80% of respondents believe a dedicated intern curriculum would enhance residency education.
• Simulation sessions (91%) were the most favored teaching method, followed by asynchronous resources (71%) and weekly conferences (75%). Textbook readings were supported by less than half (47%).

Conclusions:

• There is significant resident interest in a longitudinal intern curriculum.
• Findings support the development of a standardized curriculum for millennial EM residents.
• Learner preferences indicate a shift towards interactive and flexible learning modalities.