Understanding the study habits of Saudi residents in a psychiatry programme

Abstract

Objectives Understanding the way psychiatry residents select, consume, and prioritise their educational resources during their psychiatry residency programme is essential. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Saudi psychiatry residents' study habits during their residency training. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 150 Saudi psychiatry residents were invited to complete an anonymous survey with 18 close-ended statements. The responses were recorded on a 5-point Likert scale. The survey included items about study volume, motivational factors, study resources, study methods, and overall satisfaction with training. Results We received responses from 121 residents. There were more men (57.9%) than women (42.1%). A larger percentage of residents studied between two and five hours per day (30.6%). A larger proportion of residents did not agree that the psychiatry residency programme had some degree of protected time prior to their board exams (42.2%). The most crucial motivating factor for their study was the final board exam; 28.1% and 35.5% of residents ranked this factor as highly and very highly motivating, respectively. The most useful study resources were books such as Kaplan, Oxford, and Oral Board materials. Conclusion Our study is the first of its kind that provides insight into the study habits of Saudi psychiatry residents. The information can be used to improve the quality of training and medical education of psychiatry residents.

Assessment of the Study Habits of Residents in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Programs in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In contrast, a study conducted on Saudi psychiatry residents had the opposite result. 8 Consistent with previous findings, final board and promotion examinations were the most motivating factors among the residents. 8,10 These findings suggest that, in addition to final board examinations, periodic examinations may be considered as a means of promoting the desire to study throughout the residency program.…”

“…The limited use of research could indicate poor availability of current articles, an issue that has been raised in another study conducted in Saudi Arabia as well. 8 The majority of the residents in the current study considered journal club activities to be useless, in contrast to a recent study, in which participation in journal club events was found to increase residents' confidence and competence, enhance their capacity to assess research papers and recognize clinical applications from published literature, and improve their evidence-based recommendations and ability to train employees on evidence-based medicine. 14 Consistent with prior research, there were no significant differences in the study habits of men and women based on marital status or the presence of children.…”

“…14 Consistent with prior research, there were no significant differences in the study habits of men and women based on marital status or the presence of children. 8,9 More than two-thirds of the study participants strongly believed that on-call duties severely impact their academic performance, which has been reported in a previous study. 8 Furthermore, previous studies have indicated that exhaustive clinical engagement is a risk factor for burnout, poor clinical productivity, decreased academic involvement, and unsatisfactory examination outcomes and achievement.…”

“…Consistent with previous findings, final board and promotion examinations were the most motivating factors among the residents. 8 , 10 These findings suggest that, in addition to final board examinations, periodic examinations may be considered as a means of promoting the desire to study throughout the residency program. In addition, clinical evaluations should be performed every quarter.…”

“…In the current study, with informed permission we adopted a previously used questionnaire. 8 The survey instrument was content validated. The survey asked participants about their demographic characteristics, residency level, and in which city they were doing their residency.…”