"Pause" for Resident Education in the Operating Room.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Operating Room Pedagogy

Background:

• Effective surgical training requires optimizing the operating room (OR) educational environment.
• Resident learning in the OR can be enhanced by clear communication of educational goals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if pre-operative discussion of resident learning objectives with attending physicians improves the OR educational experience.
• To assess the impact of a structured educational intervention on resident engagement and satisfaction during surgical cases.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, nonrandomized cohort study with pre- and post-intervention surveys.
• Attending physicians prompted residents to state learning objectives before surgical cases.
• Anonymous surveys assessed resident and attending perceptions of the educational experience.

Main Results:

• Resident reporting of surgical goals increased from 45% to 100% post-intervention (p<0.0001).
• Residents reported improved ability to maximize learning opportunities and higher satisfaction.
• Attending physicians demonstrated increased awareness of resident learning objectives.

Conclusions:

• A brief educational pause before surgical cases can significantly enhance resident learning.
• Routine implementation of this educational intervention is recommended for surgical training programs.
• Integrating goal-setting discussions into the surgical time-out process can optimize OR education.