Curriculum Innovation: A Standardized Experiential Simulation Curriculum Equips Residents to Face the Challenges of...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Leadership Development
• Residency Program Management

Background:

• Chief residents manage critical administrative, academic, and interpersonal aspects of residency programs.
• Rising chief residents often lack formal leadership training, creating a gap in essential skills.
• Effective leadership is crucial for successful residency program oversight and trainee development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define leadership styles and their relationship with cultural competence.
• To equip rising chief residents with advocacy, feedback, and conflict management skills.
• To foster an environment of psychological safety within residency programs.

Main Methods:

• A 1-day curriculum combining didactic lectures and simulation activities was developed for rising chief residents.
• Didactic sessions covered leadership models, cultural competence, advocacy, feedback, conflict management, and psychological safety.
• Simulation involved objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) scenarios focusing on feedback, debriefing adverse events, and managing difficult physician interactions.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in familiarity with leadership models (p=0.006), cultural competence in leadership (p=0.027), and team organizational structure (p=0.010).
• 100% of participants reported improved ability to advocate for their team post-curriculum.
• Learner comfort with feedback delivery increased from 51% to 90%, with improved familiarity (p=0.053).

Conclusions:

• A 1-day leadership development curriculum integrating didactics and simulation effectively prepares rising chief residents.
• The curriculum enhances preparedness for the multifaceted responsibilities of the chief resident role.
• This intervention supports a smoother transition into leadership, benefiting both trainees and program management.