The Nephrology Immersion Classroom for Internal Medicine Residents

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Digital Learning Technologies

Background:

• Graduate medical education (GME) faces challenges in personalizing learning while maintaining standardized outcomes.
• Mobile-friendly digital blackboard videos offer a potential solution to support personalized learning in GME.
• This study investigated the impact of a mobile-friendly video curriculum on resident satisfaction, knowledge, and clinical skills during a nephrology rotation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of a mobile-friendly video curriculum on resident satisfaction, knowledge, and clinical skills.
• To assess the usability and perceived value of a digital blackboard video library for nephrology rotations.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, controlled, nonrandomized trial was conducted with internal medicine residents.
• The intervention group accessed a library of mobile-friendly, nephrology-themed digital blackboard videos.
• Outcomes measured included resident satisfaction, clinical knowledge (15-item multiple-choice test), and nephrology-specific clinical skills.

Main Results:

• 77% of residents in the intervention group enrolled, with most using the resource occasionally or frequently.
• A majority found the videos easy to use (86%) and recommended them for other rotations (77%).
• Improved self-reported clinical skills were observed, but no significant difference in short-term knowledge was found between groups.

Conclusions:

• A mobile-friendly digital video curriculum was well-utilized and highly rated by residents.
• The video curriculum was associated with enhanced nephrology-specific clinical skills.
• Further development of digital resources can improve the implementation of GME core curricula.