Developing residents as educators: A medical education track within a physical medicine and rehabilitation residency program

Abstract

An academic career requires knowledge and skills in providing clinical care, research, and medical education. More medical trainees are now aspiring to become clinician‐educators. The objective of this descriptive study was to design and implement an optional 18‐month Medical Education Track for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) residents and assess resident confidence in medical educator knowledge and skills. A survey for trainees to self‐evaluate their confidence in teaching skills, mentorship, and educator skills was developed. All resident physicians were surveyed at the start of their PGY3 year as a needs assessment. All residents were surveyed again 18 months later. Twenty‐six out of thirty‐six residents participated in the optional Medical Education Track (72.2%). All PM&R trainees demonstrated improved confidence in teaching, mentoring, and medical educator skills over an 18‐month period. Participants in the Medical Education Track had higher scores in all domains. There was a high degree of satisfaction with the Track amongst participants, with all domains rated between “somewhat satisfied” and “extremely satisfied.” A dedicated Medical Education Track may be a useful way to train PM&R resident physicians in medical education knowledge and skills to provide a foundation for future careers in medical education.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.