Surgical Residents' Perception of Multi-Specialty Learning

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Robotic Surgery

Background:

• Perceptions of trainer-trainee interactions significantly impact learning efficacy.
• Inherent biases toward specific surgical specialties can influence the perceived value of multi-specialty learning environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess surgical residents' perceptions of the utility of learning from faculty and peers across different surgical specialties.
• To evaluate the impact of a multi-specialty robotic simulation event on these perceptions.

Main Methods:

• Electronic pre- and post-activity surveys were administered to general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and urology residents.
• Surveys measured prior robotic surgery experience and perceptions of learning from faculty and residents in different specialties.

Main Results:

• Before the simulation, residents favored learning within their own specialty. Over 50% of general surgery and urology residents initially saw limited utility in learning from obstetrics and gynecology faculty.
• Post-simulation, all specialties showed increased agreement on the utility of learning from diverse faculty.
• The multi-specialty event enhanced residents' knowledge and confidence in robotic surgery.

Conclusions:

• Multi-specialty educational events can positively shift surgical residents' perceptions regarding interdisciplinary faculty instruction.
• These events improve resident views on learning with and from peers in other specialties, fostering collaboration.
• Multi-specialty learning environments are crucial for developing communities of practice, enhancing resident identity, and ultimately improving patient care.