University of New Mexico
Background: In 2009, the University of New Mexico (UNM) Pediatric Residency transitioned program didactics from noon conference to an academic half day. Immediate evaluation of resident and faculty satisfaction, resident attendance, board exam pass rate and In-Training-Exam (ITE) scores showed improvements with this change. These results by Dr. Walter Dehority were published in 2012.
Objective: Investigate the longitudinal impact of the academic half day at UNM on resident and faculty satisfaction, resident attendance and clinical knowledge in the form of standardized exam results. Use self-determination theory to explore effects of the academic half day on autonomy, competence and relatedness in pediatric residents.
Methods: In this mixed methods study, surveys regarding satisfaction were conducted of current pediatric residents (n=32) and faculty (n=32) at UNM. To assess clinical knowledge, quantitative measures such as pediatric board exam pass rate were evaluated. Finally, focus groups were conducted with pediatric residents and faculty separately to evaluate concepts related to resident autonomy, competence and engagement with the academic half day.
Results: Resident and faculty satisfaction was sustained with significance at 88% and 67% (p-value of 0.02 and 0.009), respectively. Resident attendance was also sustained at 88.4% (p=0.005). Board exam pass rates are increased since 2009. Focus groups identify overall satisfaction from residents and faculty and identified a need for addressing resident engagement with didactics secondary to clinical pressures and interactivity of didactics.
Conclusions: The academic half day shows continued success in terms of faculty and resident satisfaction and resident attendance. More research is needed to investigate other factors related to the unchanged board pass rate. Further intervention and research will be needed to improve resident engagement in the academic half day.
