The effect of monthly resident reflection on achieving rotation goals.
BACKGROUND
Reflection is a learning tool increasingly being used in medical education. It has not been well studied as a method of communicating resident rotation goals and objectives.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose was to study the effect of monthly resident reflection on achieving curriculum goals.


METHODS
During the first half of the 2005-06 academic year, obstetrics/gynecology residents at a community hospital received curriculum goals in a traditional written manner. During the second 6 months, the same trainees underwent 1-hr monthly structured reflection sessions on the rotation goals and objectives.


RESULTS
Sixteen residents were studied. Compared to control, residents reported the rotation goals as better defined during reflection months. More trainees rated reflection as more valuable than the didactic time it replaced. All 16 residents documented more cumulative procedures in the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education operative log Web site during reflection months for each of the three major categories; there was a mean increased number of procedures logged in Obstetrics (23.1 +/- 14.0, p < .001), Gynecology (18.3 +/- 10.9, p < .001), and Primary Care (21.1 +/- 23.5, p = .003). Overall, there was a mean of 62.6 +/- 32.1 (p < .001) more procedures entered during the reflection period, which translated to an 18% increase.


CONCLUSIONS
Structured monthly reflection may lead to a higher success of achieving rotation goals.
Toy
Eugene C
EC
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas 77002, USA. ectoy@tmhs.org
Harms
Konrad P
KP
Morris
Robert K
RK
Simmons
Jeané R
JR
Kaplan
Alan L
AL
Ownby
Allison R
AR
D003479:Curriculum; D003625:Data Collection; D006040:Goals; D006176:Gynecology / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000193:education; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D013781:Texas; D013850:Thinking