Teaching strategies used by internal medicine residents on the wards.
BACKGROUND
Residents serve as teachers to interns and students in most internal medicine residency programs.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of our study is to explore what internal medicine residents perceive as effective teaching strategies in the inpatient setting and to formulate a guideline for preparing residents to lead their ward teams.


METHODS
Housestaff identified as excellent teaching residents were recruited from a large internal medicine residency program. Focus groups were formed and interviews were conducted using open-ended questions. Transcripts of the interviews were reviewed, analyzed, and compared for accuracy by two investigators. The transcripts were then coded to categorize data into similar subjects from which recurrent themes in resident teaching were identified.


RESULTS
Twenty-two residents participated in four focus group interviews held in 2008. We identified five principal themes for effective teaching by residents: (T)aking advantage of teaching opportunities, (E)mpowering learners, (A)ssuming the role of leader, (C)reating a learning environment, and (H)abituating the practice of teaching.


CONCLUSIONS
Strategies for effective teaching by residents exist. The TEACH mnemonic is a resident-identified method of instruction. Use of this tool could enable residency programs to create instructional curricula to prepare their residents and interns to take on the roles of team leaders and teachers.
Emory University School of Medicine, USA. email: dustin.smith2@va.gov
Dustin T
DT
Smith
R Jeffrey
RJ
Kohlwes
D003657:Decision Making; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007857:Leadership; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States