Off-service residents in the emergency department: The need for learner-centredness

Abstract

Standard learning objectives enable residency directors to develop effective programs and evaluate residents based on key goals and parameters. While standards are important for ensuring basic competence, the usual process has little flexibility to address the unique needs and desires of a given resident. Our objective was to determine whether the expectations of off-service residents rotating through an emergency department (ED) rotation were being met. We developed a 144-item questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale and surveyed 25 off-service residents at the beginning and end of their ED rotation. The survey was divided into 3 sections: presentations, skills and diagnoses. The results demonstrate that certain expectations are consistently underachieved while others represent individual variations. We propose a learner-centred approach to ensure an optimal emergency educational experience for all trainees. © 2003, Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians. All rights reserved.