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Attributes of excellent attending-physician role models
S M Wright1, D E Kern, K Kolodner
1Division of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224-2780, USA.
The New England Journal of Medicine
|December 31, 1998
Summary
Excellent clinical role models in medical education often dedicate significant time to teaching, emphasize the doctor-patient relationship, and teach psychosocial aspects. These qualities are teachable and modifiable behaviors valuable for physician development.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Physician Development
- Clinical Mentorship
Background:
- Effective role models are crucial in medical education.
- Characteristics of excellent clinical role models are not well-defined.
- A case-control study was conducted to identify distinguishing attributes of these physicians.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific attributes of physicians recognized as excellent clinical role models.
- To differentiate excellent role models from their peers based on defined characteristics.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving internal medicine residents from four teaching hospitals.
- House staff nominated physicians as excellent role models (cases).
- A questionnaire was administered to nominated physicians and a control group of physicians with teaching responsibilities; 341 (83%) responded.
Main Results:
- 42% of responding physicians were identified as excellent role models.
- Key attributes included: >25% time teaching (OR 5.12), ≥25 hrs/week teaching/rounds (OR 2.48), stressing doctor-patient relationship (OR 2.58), teaching psychosocial aspects (OR 2.31), and prior chief resident experience (OR 2.07).
- Greater teaching responsibilities strongly correlated with being identified as a role model.
Conclusions:
- Excellent role model attributes are largely acquired skills.
- These characteristics represent modifiable behaviors beneficial for physician training.
- Focusing on these attributes can enhance the development of effective clinical role models.