Do programme coordinators contribute to the professional development of residents? an exploratory study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Training
• Professional Development

Background:

• The role of programme coordinators in health professions training is vital but under-researched.
• Their specific contributions to resident trainees' professional development require deeper investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To qualitatively analyze the educational support provided by programme coordinators to resident trainees.
• To understand the involvement of coordinators in fostering professional identity formation (PIF) among residents.

Main Methods:

• Utilized semi-structured reflective writing from programme coordinators in Japanese teaching hospitals.
• Employed thematic analysis guided by the professional identity formation (PIF) framework.

Main Results:

• Analyzed 39 cases of support provided by 31 coordinators.
• Identified seven key educational roles: supervisor consultation, protection from negative experiences, self-assessment facilitation, safe learning environment creation, personal problem support (mental health, social skills), support for isolated residents, and peer conflict prevention.
• Common resident challenges included personal problems, mental health issues, and insufficient social skills.

Conclusions:

• Seven distinct educational roles for programme coordinators were identified, linked to resident PIF.
• Four essential coordinator attributes emerged: non-hierarchical relationships, parenting attitude, sensitivity, and public perspective.
• Findings inform the definition of coordinator roles and staff development for improved resident training.