The Learning Environment in Surgery Clerkship: What are Faculty Perceptions?

OBJECTIVE

Multiple efforts have sought to improve teaching effectiveness and the learning environment (LE), but prior research has not focused on attending physicians' perceptions of mistreatment or contribution to the LE. The purpose of this study was to assess the perception and role of surgical faculty in the medical student LE.

DESIGN

A semistructured interview guide was developed using a comprehensive approach including extensive literature search and focus groups. Data were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Content analysis was used to identify emergent themes.

SETTING

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, an academic tertiary care facility located in Boston, Massachusetts.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifteen faculty in the Department of Surgery underwent detailed interviews. Participants were selected using purposive-stratified criterion-based sampling.

RESULTS

Multiple themes emerged: (1) The competing demands on medical student's time are a negative factor in the LE; (2) Faculty expectations conflict with the existing curriculum; (3) Faculty are concerned with the possibility of being reported for providing negative feedback; (4) Faculty remain unfamiliar with policies regarding the LE/mistreatment; (5) A motivated medical student makes the educational interaction more productive independent of specialty of choice.

CONCLUSIONS

Faculty identified that the most important factors contributing to a negative LE were a mismatch between expectations of medical students and faculty, and the conflict between the current curriculum and the faculty member's perceived ideal educational framework. Importantly, faculties were largely unfamiliar with LE/mistreatment policies and standards. These findings suggest a need for targeted curricula for faculty to raise awareness of components of a positive LE and tools to teach effectively within the contemporary medical school curriculum.