Training the Next Generation of Obstetrics and Gynecology Leaders, A Multi-Institutional Needs Assessment

To assess resident and faculty interest in, as well as content and preferred format for, a leadership curriculum during obstetrics and gynecology residency DESIGN: From June to July 2019, a needs assessment survey on leadership training was distributed to residents and academic faculty at 3 United States obstetrics and gynecology residency programs. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed. Open ended questions were analyzed for themes.

Three ob/gyn residency programs across the United States: Kaiser Permanente East Bay in Oakland, California, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, New York.

Surveys were distributed to all residents (n = 111) and affiliated academic faculty (n = 124) at each of the 3 participating sites.

Resident response rate was 71% (79/111) and faculty rate was 63% (78/124). Postgraduate year (PGY) 1 residents were more likely to believe there was sufficient leadership training during residency (17/23, 74%) compared to PGY 2-4s (16/56, 29%) and faculty (20/76, 26%; p < 0.01). Most residents (66/79, 84%) and faculty (74/78, 82%) expressed that residents would benefit from a leadership curriculum. Both deemed small group exercises and leadership case studies taught by physicians were the preferred format for this curriculum. Residents and faculty agreed on 3 of the top 4 topics for a leadership curriculum - effective communication, team management, and time management - while residents chose self-awareness and faculty chose professionalism as the fourth of their top domains. Open-ended survey questions revealed that leadership demands in obstetrics and gynecology are similar to other specialties but differ in emphasis on crisis management, situational awareness, and advocacy training.

Given unique aspects of leadership within the specialty, obstetrics and gynecology residents and faculty see benefit for specialty-specific formalized leadership training.