Combined training in procedural and behavioral counseling skills

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Family Medicine Training

Background:

• Family medicine residency programs require comprehensive training in both behavioral counseling and office procedural skills.
• Traditional training methods may face challenges with competing clinical responsibilities and varied faculty-resident precepting experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a combined curriculum for second-year family medicine residents focusing on behavioral counseling and office procedural skills.
• To assess the impact of an integrated training model on resident knowledge and engagement.

Main Methods:

• A dedicated one-month curriculum was implemented for all second-year family medicine residents, relieving them of other clinical duties.
• The curriculum integrated behavioral counseling and office procedural skills training, utilizing efficient faculty teaching time.
• Pre- and post-testing were conducted to measure changes in resident knowledge.

Main Results:

• The combined training experience was found to be complementary in content, teaching methods, and maintaining resident interest.
• Residents demonstrated a significant increase in cognitive knowledge of both behavioral counseling and office procedural skills post-curriculum.
• The integrated approach efficiently utilized faculty time and avoided issues associated with fragmented training.

Conclusions:

• A combined, focused curriculum effectively enhances resident learning in behavioral counseling and office procedural skills.
• Integrated training models offer a more efficient and engaging approach to resident education in family medicine.
• This curriculum design improved knowledge acquisition and addressed limitations of traditional training methods.