Project description:The design and implementation of an assessment centre in the South Yorkshire and South Humberside deanery for selecting doctors into postgraduate training in paediatric medicine is described. Eleven competency domains were identified in the job analysis. An assessment centre comprising of four exercises was implemented to assess candidates. There were modest relationships between candidates' performance on the various assessment centre exercises. Outcomes based on interview performance were related to, but not the same as, outcomes based on the combined results of the three other assessment centre exercises. Candidates perceived the assessment centre to be a fair selection method. It is concluded that an assessment centre approach to SHO recruitment is feasible and provides a greater breadth and depth of information about candidates than does a structured interview.
Project description:BackgroundArtificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly used in clinical practice. Although there is robust evidence that AI innovations can improve patient care, reduce clinicians' workload and increase efficiency, their impact on medical training and education remains unclear.MethodsA survey of trainee doctors' perceived impact of AI technologies on clinical training and education was conducted at UK NHS postgraduate centers in London between October and December 2020. Impact assessment mirrored domains in training curricula such as 'clinical judgement', 'practical skills' and 'research and quality improvement skills'. Significance between Likert-type data was analysed using Fisher's exact test. Response variations between clinical specialities were analysed using k-modes clustering. Free-text responses were analysed by thematic analysis.ResultsTwo hundred ten doctors responded to the survey (response rate 72%). The majority (58%) perceived an overall positive impact of AI technologies on their training and education. Respondents agreed that AI would reduce clinical workload (62%) and improve research and audit training (68%). Trainees were skeptical that it would improve clinical judgement (46% agree, p = 0.12) and practical skills training (32% agree, p < 0.01). The majority reported insufficient AI training in their current curricula (92%), and supported having more formal AI training (81%).ConclusionsTrainee doctors have an overall positive perception of AI technologies' impact on clinical training. There is optimism that it will improve 'research and quality improvement' skills and facilitate 'curriculum mapping'. There is skepticism that it may reduce educational opportunities to develop 'clinical judgement' and 'practical skills'. Medical educators should be mindful that these domains are protected as AI develops. We recommend that 'Applied AI' topics are formalized in curricula and digital technologies leveraged to deliver clinical education.
Project description:BackgroundThe objective of postgraduate year (PGY) training programs is to inculcate in medical graduates the expected levels of skills in patient care. This study compared the core clinical competencies of trainees who received PGY training at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital by attending the pilot training program in different groups.MethodsWe used six 10-min test stations for clinical performance evaluation, which comprised four and two test stations designed for objective structured clinical examination and procedural skill, respectively, to evaluate the learning outcomes of the trainees. The trainees were divided into three groups according to the training programs that they had attended.ResultsThe aspects of clinical performance included history taking, physical examination, medical communication, logical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. The trainees who selected the surgery-based training program exhibited a higher performance at the station for aseptic surgical preparation than the other two groups (p = 0.0261). The trainees who selected the internal medical training program (p = 0.0020) exhibited a higher performance at the station for abdominal pain in children.ConclusionsA well-designed postgraduate training program should develop trainees' competencies, particularly clinical operational skills. The results of this study may provide useful insight into methods for improving the design of training programs. Additional investigation is necessary for understanding the effects of different programs on the clinical performance of trainees.
Project description:BackgroundPostgraduate supervision takes place within complex training environments, where experiences are shaped by the socio-cultural context and wider profession, and where tensions permeate. Bordin's working alliance-based model of supervision suggests that quality relationships encompass agreement on the goals and tasks of supervision, in the context of an emotional bond. However, as trainees and their supervisors navigate the demands of providing safe clinical care, alongside educational support, disagreement on expectations for supervision may emerge. By applying a critical lens, this research draws on positioning theory to explore General Practice trainees' experiences of supervision.MethodsIn 2017-2019 a series of narrative interviews were undertaken with 13 General Practice trainees in the United Kingdom (UK). Participants were purposively sampled based on end-of-year performance, gender, training location and training status. Interviews were analysed using Brown and Gilligan's Listening Guide, which was adapted to incorporate an exploration of positioning, power and agency.ResultsTrainees appeared to hold variable positions, such as 'insiders', 'outsiders', 'peers' and 'problem trainees'. Supervisors, through talk and the degree of access afforded, contributed to this positioning. Some trainees viewed their supervisors as brokers and guides as they navigated their training, whilst others were suspicious of the supervisor role. For trainees who raised concerns about their supervisor through formal channels, results were not often satisfactory. Others chose to navigate difficulty in supervision through informal means. This typically involved mastery of artefacts of training, such as the electronic appointment book or training portfolio.ConclusionsThis paper builds on Bordin's model of supervision to encourage greater clarity in supervisory discussions, exploring assumptions, and recognising the influences of environment, power, positioning, and agency. We have developed a Model of the Supervisory Alliance in Postgraduate GP Training (MSA-GP) to serve as a springboard for discussion for trainees and their supervisors.
Project description:BackgroundThe amount of information needed by doctors has exploded. The nature of knowledge (explicit and tacit) and processes of knowledge acquisition and participation are complex. Aiming to assist workplace learning, Wales Deanery funded "iDoc", a project offering trainee doctors a Smartphone library of medical textbooks.MethodsData on trainee doctors' (Foundation Year 2) workplace information seeking practice was collected by questionnaire in 2011 (n = 260). iDoc baseline questionnaires (n = 193) collected data on Smartphone usage alongside other workplace information sources. Case reports (n = 117) detail specific instances of Smartphone use.ResultsMost frequently (daily) used information sources in the workplace: senior medical staff (80% F2 survey; 79% iDoc baseline); peers (70%; 58%); and other medical/nursing team staff (53% both datasets). Smartphones were used more frequently by males (p < 0.01). Foundation Year 1 (newly qualified) was judged the most useful time to have a Smartphone library because of increased responsibility and lack of knowledge/experience.Preferred information source varied by question type: hard copy texts for information-based questions; varied resources for skills queries; and seniors for more complex problems. Case reports showed mobile technology used for simple (information-based), complex (problem-based) clinical questions and clinical procedures (skills-based scenarios). From thematic analysis, the Smartphone library assisted: teaching and learning from observation; transition from medical student to new doctor; trainee doctors' discussions with seniors; independent practice; patient care; and this 'just-in-time' access to reliable information supported confident and efficient decision-making.ConclusionA variety of information sources are used regularly in the workplace. Colleagues are used daily but seniors are not always available. During transitions, constant access to the electronic library was valued. It helped prepare trainee doctors for discussions with their seniors, assisting the interchange between explicit and tacit knowledge.By supporting accurate prescribing and treatment planning, the electronic library contributed to enhanced patient care. Trainees were more rapidly able to medicate patients to reduce pain and more quickly call for specific assessments. However, clinical decision-making often requires dialogue: what Smartphone technology can do is augment, not replace, discussion with their colleagues in the community of practice.