** Poster Award Nominee

FACULTY PERCEPTIONS OF RESIDENT COMFORT AND EXPERIENCE WITH CLINICAL SKILLS

Lisa M. Arfons*,  CONTACT _Con-403BD3B71 \c \s \l Gopala K. Yadavalli, Department of Medicine, University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Medical Center and The Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106 U.S.A.

Purpose

An accurate understanding of resident competency, experience and comfort with clinical skills is an important prerequisite for successful curriculum development. We hypothesized that there is a disconnect between resident comfort with clinical skills and faculty perceptions of the same. 

Methods 

We designed an internet-based survey that queried residents about their comfort and experience with procedures, physical exam, interpretation of radiological tests and communication skills.  Residents at the beginning of second year were invited to participate in the survey.  Faculty identified as educational leaders were invited to participate in a second internet-based survey that asked them to estimate resident responses. 

Results 

Response rate was 26/33 (79%) for residents and 10/14 (71%) for faculty.  Faculty accurately predicted resident comfort with physical exam and interpretation of radiological tests but underestimated resident comfort with communication skills (P<0.05).  Faculty accurately predicted resident experience in various procedures but overestimated resident comfort in placing central lines (P<0.05).  Faculty also overestimated resident comfort in running codes (P<0.05). 

Conclusions 

Faculty perceptions of resident comfort with clinical skills are frequently inaccurate and the reasons for this merit further study.  Improving faculty understanding of resident experiences will inform teaching approaches and aid curriculum design.  The correlation between resident comfort/experience and actual competence in clinical skills should be further explored.