Community-Powered Learning: A Qualitative Analysis of Postgraduate Medical Trainee Development Through Journal Club

Journal clubs are a core feature of postgraduate medical education. They are used to teach critical appraisal skills and evidence-based medicine to postgraduate trainees. Studies have been carried out examining the purpose and goals of journal club, but with minimal input from learners. Thus, the research question was devised, 'why do postgraduate trainees find journal clubs effective for their continuous professional development and what underlying processes facilitate their learning and engagement in these settings?'

A qualitative study was designed to capture the opinions of the learners when considering learning through journal club. Semi-structured interviews were felt to be most appropriate to allow participants to explore freely how they learn from journal club as well as the aspects of the club that support or hinder learning. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

21 interviews were conducted within two departments in adjoining hospitals. There were 6 consultants, 9 registrars and 6 SHOs interviewed. The median (IQR) interview time was 23.5 (19.5-27.3) minutes. The themes identified were committed participation, with subthemes of habit formation and positive environment, and transformative participation, with subthemes of emerging leaders and shared experience.

The themes identified from our interviews align with principles of communities of practice and legitimate peripheral participation. Regular meetings in a positive learning environment are vital. Mutual engagement and role modelling contribute hugely to trainee learning from journal club, through the development of relationships between junior and senior members in the preparation, delivery and discussion of literature.