Relevance, quick hits, and vibe: Features of meaningful teaching and learning during trainee consult interactions

Consults are increasingly frequent in inpatient pediatric services. Consult interactions between trainees provide a rich opportunity for teaching and learning. What constitutes meaningful teaching interactions with trainees has not been described.

Explore how consulting fellows and residents define "meaningful teaching interactions" associated with inpatient consult interactions.

Four focus groups were conducted with 21 pediatric trainees (11 subspecialty fellows and 10 residents) at one institution. Transcriptions were analyzed using thematic analysis to inductively create categories and themes.

Five factors define meaningful teaching interactions: (1) Relevance; (2) Quick Hits; (3) Vibe; (4) Face-to-face Interactions; and (5) Timing and Busyness. Meaningful content was described as relevant to current or future patient care. Residents valued content that would enable them to explain the reasoning behind recommendations and think through the next steps. Trainees highlighted brief clinical pearls as superior to longer teaching sessions. The "vibe" between resident and fellow was described as a prerequisite to meaningful teaching and included aspects of interest, receptivity, tone, and attitude. Face-to-face interactions were preferred by many trainees, from initial consults to seeing patients or co-rounding. Timing and workload reflected discordant schedules, including time of day and week, but setting a planned time for teaching was beneficial.

Relevant, bite-sized educational content combined with a good vibe and optimal timing creates a context in which consult fellows can foster meaningful teaching opportunities for residents.