A novel resident-as-teacher training program to improve and evaluate obstetrics and gynecology resident teaching skills

Background: Residents play a significant role in teaching, but formal training, feedback, and evaluation are needed. Aims: Our aims were to assess resident teaching skills in the resident-as-teacher program, quantify correlations of faculty evaluations with resident self-evaluations, compare resident-as-teacher evaluations with clinical evaluations, and evaluate the resident-as-teacher program. Method: The resident-as-teacher training program is a simulated, videotaped teaching encounter with a trained medical student and standardized teaching evaluation tool. Evaluations from the resident-as-teacher training program were compared to evaluations of resident teaching done by faculty, residents, and medical students from the clinical setting. Results: Faculty evaluation of resident teaching skills in the resident-as-teacher program showed a mean total score of 4.5 +/- 0.5 with statistically significant correlations between faculty assessment and resident self-evaluations (r = 0.47; p < 0.001). However, resident self-evaluation of teaching skill was lower than faculty evaluation (mean difference: 0.4; 95% CI 0.3-0.6). When compared to the clinical setting, resident-as-teacher evaluations were significantly correlated with faculty and resident evaluations, but not medical student evaluations. Evaluations from both the resident-as-teacher program and the clinical setting improved with duration of residency. Conclusions: The resident-as-teacher program provides a method to train, give feedback, and evaluate resident teaching.