The Role of Learning Style in the Changing Landscape of Medical Education: The Canadian Plastic Surgery Experience

Abstract

Objectives: The transition to competency-based education and restraints on trainee work hours necessitates re-evaluation of resident education. The role of learning style in plastic surgery residency training has not been investigated. The objective of this study was to identify the learning styles of plastic surgeons and trainees in Canadian Plastic Surgery programs.
 Methods: A cross-sectional electronic survey was distributed to all members of the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons and through program directors at Canadian training programs. Basic demographics were captured. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory was used to identify each individual’s learning style (converging, accommodative, assimilative, or divergent). 
 Results: There were a total of 98 respondents (15% response rate), including 62 staff plastic surgeons (63%) and 36 trainees (37%). All regions of Canada and age categories were well represented. The most dominant learning styles were convergent (47%) and accommodative (29%). No significant difference in dominant learning styles existed between age groups; while males were more commonly convergent learners, females were accommodative learners. 
 Conclusions: The majority of plastic surgery trainees and staff have learning styles that rely heavily on practical application and experiential learning. Accounting for this propensity towards convergent and accommodative learning styles should be incorporated into training programs to maximize efficacy of learning.

Building Your Future Holographic Mentor: Can We Use Mixed Reality Holograms for Visual Spatial Motor Skills Acquisition in Surgical Education?

“…2,3 However, increasingly limited healthcare resources and restricted work hour policies have led to progressively less in-person training time for trainees with growing concern for acquiring increasing amounts of skills/knowledge within the same time. 4,5 This problem was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic that saw a 50-75% reduction of elective surgical OR time of all plastic surgery residents placing emphasis on the need for effective self-directed learning methods outside of the hospital. 6 Currently, surgical residents still predominantly use lecture, textbook, and video learning as their self-study tools yet most perceive these traditional tools to be inadequate or insufficient to prepare them for real-life operations.…”