Training the Trainer: Preparing Anesthesiology Residents to be Trainers in the Operating Room

The transition into clinical anesthesiology is a challenging period that requires swift acquisition of clinical knowledge and procedural skills. Senior residents are in a prime position to help their junior colleagues into the operating room environment due to their ability to relate from personal experience. We created a workshop for enhancing peer apprenticeship during this transition.

The workshop consisted of PowerPoint didactics interspersed with small-group practice sessions. Surveys were administered pre-, post-, 1-week post-, and 1-month postworkshop. The primary outcome was pre-post improvement in the proportion of residents prepared to be a trainer. Secondary outcomes included pre- to 1-week postworkshop improvement, pre-postworkshop change in knowledge of learning theory concepts, and pre-postworkshop change in first-year clinical anesthesiology perceptions of trainers.

Of residents, 12 of 43 (28%) eligible to be resident trainers attended the workshop. The proportion of residents who felt prepared increased from 75% preworkshop to 100% postworkshop and remained at 93% at 1 week. Knowledge of cognitive load and microskills improved from 0% preworkshop to 83% postworkshop but dropped to 0% at 1 month. Comfort using microskills improved from 0% preworkshop to 83% postworkshop.

Early anesthesiology training demands rapid acquisition of novel cognitive and procedural skills. Senior anesthesiology residents are in a prime position to train junior residents, yet many are uncomfortable with this role. We developed a workshop to transition residents into a peer trainer role and significantly increased their confidence to be a trainer. Other programs may benefit from implementing similar training.