The Flipped Journal Club

Abstract

IntroductionEducators struggle to develop a journal club format that promotes active participation from all levels of trainees. The explosion of social media compels residencies to incorporate the evaluation and application of these resources into evidence-based practice. We sought to design an innovative “flipped journal club” to achieve greater effectiveness in meeting goals and objectives among residents and faculty.MethodsEach journal club is focused on a specific clinical question based on a landmark article, a background article, and a podcast or blog post. With the “flipped” model, residents are assigned to prepare an in-depth discussion of one of these works based on their level of training. At journal club, trainees break into small groups and discuss their assigned readings with faculty facilitation. Following the small-group discussions, all participants convene to summarize key points. In redesigning our journal club, we sought to achieve specific educational outcomes, and improve participant engagement and overall impressions.ResultsSixty-one residents at our emergency medicine program participated in the flipped journal club during the 2015–2016 academic year, with supervision by core faculty. Program evaluation for the flipped journal club was performed using an anonymous survey, with response rates of 70% and 56% for residents and faculty, respectively. Overall, 95% of resident respondents and 100% of faculty respondents preferred the flipped format.ConclusionThe “flipped journal club” hinges upon well-selected articles, incorporation of social media, and small-group discussions. This format engages all residents, holds learners accountable, and encourages greater participation among residents and faculty.

Journal club: old tricks and fresh approaches

“…For example, a JC based around a didactic presentation runs the risk of attendees becoming passive listeners. 6 JCs led and…”

“…1 'Flipped classroom' approach A flipped classroom approach to JC involves circulating the article for discussion in advance, along with preparatory reading work. 6 Ensuring pre-session engagement represents a specific challenge. Video or online interactive tutorials can facilitate this process.…”

Rethinking Residency Conferences in the Era of COVID‐19

“…There are many resources available to help guide educators with creating an online journal club. [17][18][19][20][21][22] Similar to conference didactics, there should be a mechanism for engaging in real-time discussion and the opportunity to ask questions of the journal club leaders. This can include using synchronous media (e.g., Slack, WhatsApp, chat functions of video software) or group polling (e.g., Poll Everywhere, Kahoot).…”

Promoting the Conduct of Medical Education Journal Clubs in Teaching Medical Institutions

“…[37][38][39][40][41] Another study highlighted an innovative "flipped journal club" conducted in their settings to accomplish better attainment of learning outcomes. 42 Before the actual session, students were given topics to do thorough preparation for a detailed discussion, while during the journal club, students were divided into small groups for discussion under the guidance of a teacher. This was followed by a discussion among all in a large group wherein everyone summarized the key findings.…”

“…This was followed by a discussion among all in a large group wherein everyone summarized the key findings. 42 On a similar note, the journal clubs have also been organized using the podcast and the wiki platforms to reach a wider segment. 43,44…”