An Online, Self-Directed Curriculum of Core Research Concepts and Skills

Abstract

Introduction: Existing scholarly curricula often underemphasize basic research skills and do not address the individual learning needs of residents, whose level of prior exposure to research concepts varies widely. A supplemental educational experience was developed to address educational gaps in a family medicine residency curriculum, including systematic exploration and interpretation of the medical literature, development and exploration of clinically pertinent questions, and development of residents' written communication skills. Methods: A 2-week, online, self-directed research curriculum was developed. The five-module curriculum included (I) Research Methods and Data Analysis, (II) Article Review, (III) Board Review, (IV) Literature Search, and (V) Literature Review and Proposal. Two years after implementation, residents who completed the curriculum were surveyed to assess the overall rotation and its success in meeting learning objectives. Results: Eighteen residents completed the new rotation and demonstrated objectives through assignment completion and review. Additionally, residents reported improved skills on all objectives and were satisfied with the new curriculum and its self-led, online format. Those planning to do research after graduation were more likely to report several benefits from the rotation, including learning more about data analyses and being more likely to complete a future scholarly project. Discussion: An online, self-directed curriculum can provide a feasible and effective educational approach to efficient use of faculty and resident time, allowing time to be focused on resident-specific knowledge gaps and learning needs, rather than presenting all learning material uniformly. The online, accessible format aligned with residents' existing reliance on the internet as a primary information source.