Factors predictive of successful learning in postgraduate medical education

• Published in: Medical education Vol. 38; no. 7; pp. 758 - 766
• Main Authors: Smits, P B A, Verbeek, J H A M, Nauta, M C E, Ten Cate, Th J, Metz, J C M, Van Dijk, F J H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.07.2004; Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Analysis of Variance; Clinical Competence - standards; Curriculum subjects: programmes and methods; education; Education, Medical, Graduate - methods; Educational Measurement - standards; Educational sciences; Female; graduate/methods; Humans; Learning; Male; medical; Medical and paramedical education; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - therapy; mental health; Middle Aged; occupation therapy/education; Occupational Therapy - education; Predictive Value of Tests; Problem-Based Learning - methods; Sex Factors; Teaching methods; Netherlands; Medicine; Higher Education; Mental Health; Graduate; Success; Problem Solving
• ISSN: 0308-0110; 1365-2923
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2929.2004.01846.x

Purpose  To establish which personal and contextual factors are predictive of successful outcomes in postgraduate medical education. Method  We performed a follow‐up study of 118 doctors on a postgraduate occupational health training programme on the management of mental health problems. The following personal and contextual variables were measured as potential predictors of outcome: gender; age; years of experience as a doctor; university of graduation; learning style (Kolb); present employer (occupational health service), and educational format (problem‐based or lecture‐based). The main outcome measures were: scores on knowledge tests consisting of true/false and open answer questions, and performance in practice based on self‐report and performance indicators. To determine the effect of potential predictive factors univariate analyses of variance and repeated measurement analysis of variance was applied. Results  The mean scores of knowledge (P < 0.001) and performance (P = 0.001) of the participants increased after the educational programme. After multivariate analysis female gender was positively related to accruements in both knowledge and performance (both P < 0.05), independently of the influence of other factors. Accommodator learning style showed a relation with knowledge increase (P = 0.05), but had no influence on performance (P = 0.79). The problem‐based educational format yielded a better performance outcome (P = 0.05), but had no influence on knowledge tests (P = 0.31). Conclusion  Gender and learning style were found to be related to an increase in knowledge. Gender was also found to be related to improvement in performance after a postgraduate medical education programme. We found no interactions with course design (i.e. problem‐based or non problem‐based learning formats), but further research could reveal other cues, suggesting practical consequences of student characteristics for course design in postgraduate training.