Exploring how surgeon teachers motivate residents in the operating room.
BACKGROUND
Motivation in teaching, mainly studied in disciplines outside of surgery, may also be an important part of intraoperative teaching. We explored techniques surgeons use to motivate learners in the operating room (OR).


METHODS
Forty-four experienced surgeon teachers from multiple specialties participated in 9 focus groups about teaching in the OR. Focus groups were transcribed and subjected to qualitative thematic analysis by 3 reviewers through an iterative, rigorous process.


RESULTS
Analysis revealed 8 motivational techniques. Surgeons used motivation techniques tacitly, describing multiple ways that they facilitate resident motivation while teaching. Two major categories of motivational techniques emerged: (1) the facilitation of intrinsic motivation; and (2) the provision of factors to stimulate extrinsic motivation.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgeons unknowingly but tacitly and commonly use motivation in intraoperative teaching and use a variety of techniques to foster learners' intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Motivating learners is 1 vital role that surgeon teachers play in nontechnical intraoperative teaching.
Department of Surgery, Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. dathd@mcmaster.ca
Deepak
D
Dath
Jen
J
Hoogenes
Edward D
ED
Matsumoto
David A
DA
Szalay
D000328:Adult; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009864:Ontario; D009873:Operating Rooms; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000193:education*