Struggling Medical Learners: A Competency-Based Approach to Improving Performance.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Faculty Development

Background:

• Medical educators require training to effectively identify, analyze, and support struggling medical learners.
• Intervention and individualized remediation are crucial for ensuring learner success in medical training programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a competency-based framework for faculty development in identifying and assisting struggling medical learners.
• To evaluate the effectiveness and participant reception of an interactive faculty development workshop.

Main Methods:

• A 90-minute interactive workshop utilizing a mock academic promotions committee meeting was developed.
• Participants (n=55) completed a 10-item Likert scale evaluation and two open-ended questions.
• Quantitative data were analyzed using independent t-tests and correlation; qualitative data were coded for themes.

Main Results:

• The workshop received high ratings for quality (M=4.5) and achievement of learning objectives (M=4.4).
• Significant positive correlations were found between perceived quality and interactive elements (r=0.70) and intention to apply learning (r=0.60).
• Key themes from qualitative feedback included role-play, resources, peer interaction, and relevant content.

Conclusions:

• The faculty development workshop was rated excellent in quality, relevance, and applicability by medical educators.
• The interactive nature of the workshop was identified as its most valuable component.
• A majority of participants expressed intent to apply the workshop's learnings to their professional practice.