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Resident educational time study: a tale of three specialties
A R Magnusson1, J R Hedges, P Ashley
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201, USA.
Summary
First-year residents spend similar proportions of time on clinical, educational, and personal activities across emergency medicine, internal medicine, and surgery rotations. Patient-focused education dominates, with limited self-education and faculty involvement, especially in surgery.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Residency Training
- Clinical Practice
Background:
- Understanding how residents allocate their time is crucial for optimizing medical education.
- Previous studies have not comprehensively compared time utilization across major PGY1 rotations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare in-hospital time allocation among first-year graduate (PGY1) residents in Emergency Medicine (EM), Internal Medicine (IM), and Surgery.
- To analyze the educational components of resident time use during these core rotations.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional, observational study design was employed.
- Activities of PGY1 residents were logged by observers across EM, IM, and Surgery rotations.
- Time-blocked sampling ensured representation of resident shifts proportional to total hours.
Main Results:
- Residents spent an average of 57% on clinical/service, 24% on educational, and 19% on personal activities.
- Time allocation proportions were similar across the three rotations.
- Patient-focused education constituted 81-92% of educational time, with limited self-education (2-11%).
Conclusions:
- PGY1 resident time use is proportionally similar across EM, IM, and Surgery rotations.
- Patient-focused teaching is the predominant educational method, with minimal self-directed learning.
- Limited faculty interaction during clinical teaching, particularly in surgery, warrants further investigation.