Program-Specific Podcasting as a Supplemental Learning Tool for Subspecialty Fellows

Medical teaching podcasts have continued to grow in popularity in recent years due to their accessibility as a passive learning tool. If targeted to the specific needs of a program, this educational tool may be a simple and effective means of bridging knowledge gaps for trainees.

Eight focused outpatient pulmonology topics were identified by recent post-graduate survey data from the University of California, San Diego's Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine fellowship. For each topic, a concise interview was recorded between a fellow and local expert within the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep Medicine & Physiology at the University of California, San Diego. These interviews were captured as roughly 10-20 minute podcast episodes shared with fellows during the 2022-2023 academic year. Pre- and post-survey data addressing participant perception was measured on a Likert scale, while subject knowledge was assessed with multiple-choice questions addressing each topic.

Eleven fellows completed the full podcast series and both pre- and post-surveys. For these eleven, fellow comfort improved significantly in all but two topics (COPD and chronic cough) after completion of the podcast series. Improvements in fellow knowledge were statistically significant for the topics of COPD (P = 0.0016), neuromuscular disease (P = 0.0111), and pre-operative assessment for lung resection (P = 0.0026).

Educational podcasts can effectively improve learner proficiency and comfort with subspecialty subject matter. This instructional method is simple to implement, accessible to a wide range of learners, and can be directed to material specific to an individual training program's needs.