Describing Overarching Curricular Goals for Individualized Education.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Competency-Based Medical Education
• Pediatric Residency Training

Background:

• Individualized education is key in competency-based medical education but lacks a clear operational definition.
• The Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education mandated individualized curriculum (IC) in pediatric residency without standardized goals.
• Describing IC goals can offer a framework for studying individualized education across medical disciplines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe individualized education through the lens of individualized curriculum goals in US pediatric residency programs.
• To establish a pragmatic operational definition and framework for individualized education.
• To provide a common language for research and implementation of individualized education.

Main Methods:

• A purposeful sample of 36 pediatric residency leaders completed an online survey on IC goals.
• Conventional content analysis was used, followed by alignment with self-determination theory (SDT).
• A focus group with 11 programs elaborated on the identified concepts.

Main Results:

• Common IC goals aligned with SDT domains: relatedness (mentorship, career selection), autonomy (learning plans, accountability), and competence (skill development, knowledge acquisition).
• The study identified a framework for cultivating professional identity, guiding learning paths, and ensuring comprehensive skill sets.
• Goals were categorized to support resident professional identity, learning plan creation, and skill development.

Conclusions:

• This study provides a framework for understanding and implementing individualized education in medical training.
• The identified IC goals offer a common language and structure for research and improvement of individualized education.
• The framework can guide pediatric residency programs and potentially other medical disciplines in structuring educational experiences.