Training junior faculty to become clinical teachers: The value of personalized coaching

Abstract

Background: Junior clinical faculty require institutional support in the acquisition of feedback and clinical supervision skills of trainees. We tested the effectiveness of a personalized coaching versus guided self-reflection format of a faculty development program at improving faculty skills and self-efficacy.

Methods: Participants were evaluated both before and after the program using a four-station Objective Structured Teaching Exercise (OSTE). A gain-score analysis, one-way ANOVA, and paired t-tests were used to evaluate both groups. The impact on the learning environment was measured by resident ratings of the Maastricht Clinical Teaching Questionnaire.

Results: One hundred and twenty-seven participants completed the study over a three-year period. Both groups had significant improvements in self-efficacy. Participants in the coaching group demonstrated superior performance in encouraging learner self-reflection, teaching effectiveness, verifying learner understanding, exploring feelings/needs, and defining learning objectives. Over a 5-year period, the overall institutional learning climate significantly improved concerning faculty role-modeling, coaching, articulation, and explorations skills.

Conclusion: Offering a contextualized faculty-development program using OSTEs that provides multiple opportunities for feedback and is focused on creating a community of practice is an effective method to facilitate the transfer of skills to the clinical environment, supports teacher identity development, and favorably impacts the learning climate.

Keywords:

• Graduate medical education
• medical residency
• clinical competence
• coaching

Glossary

Coaching: Can be defined by the following attributes: (1) The coach provides individualised real-time feedback, (2) The coach and coachee set individualised goals, (3) The coach facilitates the development of new behaviours, insights and approaches to work, (4) The coach has expertise and experience within the relevant field.

Lovell B. (2018). What do we know about coaching in medical education? A literature review. Med Educ. 52(4), 376–390.

Acknowledgements

We thank the students who participated in the OSTEs.

Ethical approval

A complete ethical review was waived by the Geneva University Hospitals Research Ethics Board, the 12th of April, 2015. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Previous presentations

Pilot results of the study were presented in a poster format at the Association for Medical Education in Europe meeting in 2017 in Helsinki, Finland.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded in part by the Private Foundation of the Geneva University Hospitals.

Notes on contributors

Nadia M. Bajwa

Nadia M. Bajwa, MD, MHPE, is the Residency Program Director in the Department of General Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital, Geneva University Hospitals, and Faculty Member at the Unit of Development and Research in Medical Education (UDREM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.

Jehanne De Grasset

Jehanne de Grasset, MS, is a research assistant at the Institute of Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.

Marie-Claude Audétat

Marie-Claude Audétat, M.Ps, MA(e), Ph.D, is Associate Professor and in charge of the faculty development program at the Unit of Development and Research in Medical Education (UDREM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.

Nicole Jastrow

Nicole Jastrow, MD, is a senior consultant at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and responsible of the simulation training program in Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.

Hélène Richard-Lepouriel

Hélène Richard-Lepouriel, MD, is head of the Mood Disorders unit in Psychiatric specialties service, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.

Melissa Dominicé Dao

Melissa Dominicé Dao MD, MSc, is Attending physician, Director of Post-graduate Training and Head of the Transcultural Consultation, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Department of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.

Mathieu R. Nendaz

Mathieu R. Nendaz, MD, MHPE, is a Full Professor and the Director of the Unit of Development and Research in Medical Education (UDREM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, and Attending Physician in the Division of General Internal Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.

Noëlle Junod Perron

Noëlle Junod Perron, MD, PhD, is the Coordinator of the Institute of Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals, and Faculty Member at the Unit of Development and Research in Medical Education (UDREM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.