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Published on: February 16, 2011
Defining the qualities of a surgical resident who "gets it": A qualitative analysis of faculty and resident
Shaleen V Sathe1, Ravi R Agrawal2, Jennifer Yu1
1Department of Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, United States.
Background:
The phrase "getting it" is frequently used in surgical trainee assessment, yet its meaning remains undefined. This study explores how residents and faculty define the concept and whether perceptions align.
Methods:
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 residents and 13 faculty at a single institution and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results:
Residents described "getting it" as clinical competence, social awareness, feedback responsiveness, and team integration, while noting challenges with interpreting implicit expectations and the influence of faculty bias. Faculty described "getting it" as a gestalt recognition of initiative, insight, and sound clinical judgment. Both agreed that the concept is difficult to teach, vague, and susceptible to bias.
Conclusions:
Because residents and faculty interpret "getting it" differently, making the concept more explicit may enhance feedback quality, support trainee development, and reduce bias in assessment. Future work should focus on developing shared language frameworks around technical and non-technical competencies.
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