Behind the Screen: Exploring Trainee Experiences With Consultant-Involved Conflicts Through Reddit Narratives

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Professional Development
• Social Media in Medicine

Background:

• Medical trainees frequently share candid experiences on anonymous platforms like Reddit.
• Conflicts involving consultants significantly impact the medical learning environment and trainee experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore trainee experiences with consultant-involved conflicts in medical education.
• To identify types, drivers, and management strategies of these conflicts from trainee perspectives.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 208 Reddit narratives from medical trainees over one year.
• Utilized narrative and content analysis to understand conflict dynamics.

Main Results:

• Identified five conflict types: communication, medical culture, practice disagreements, mindset dissonance, and moral conflicts.
• Discovered four conflict drivers: self-perception, professionalism interpretation, learning desire, and moral values.
• Found five conflict management strategies: anger, awareness, seeking help, communication, and avoidance.

Conclusions:

• Highlights the necessity for safe spaces for trainees to debrief consultant-related conflicts.
• Emphasizes the need for enhanced conflict resolution and dialogue skills training for medical learners.
• Recommends integrating real-world conflict examples and resolution training into medical curricula.