Good clinical teachers likely to be specialist role models: results from a multicenter cross-sectional survey

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 5; no. 12; p. e15202
• Main Authors: Lombarts, Kiki M J M H, Heineman, Maas Jan, Arah, Onyebuchi A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 29.12.2010; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Academic Medical Centers; Behavior; Correlation; Correlation analysis; Correlation coefficient; Correlation coefficients; Cross sections; Cross-Sectional Studies; Curriculum; Education, Medical - methods; Education, Medical - trends; Educational reform; Evaluation; Faculty; Faculty, Medical; Feedback; Health care reform; Health education; Hospitals; Humans; Internship and Residency; Learning; Mathematical models; Medical residencies; Medicine; Models, Statistical; Netherlands; Odds Ratio; Perceptions; Physicians; Public health; Quality; Role modelling; Role models; Specialization; Statistical analysis; Students, Medical; Surveys; Teacher evaluation; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching methods; Netherlands; Los Angeles California; California; United States > US
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015202
• ISSN: 1932-6203

Medical educational reform includes enhancing role modelling of clinical teachers. This requires faculty being aware of their role model status and performance. We developed the System for Evaluation of Teaching Qualities (SETQ) to generate individualized feedback on previously defined teaching qualities and role model status for faculty in (non) academic hospitals. (i) To examine whether teaching qualities of faculty were associated with their being seen as a specialist role model by residents, and (ii) to investigate whether those associations differed across residency years and specialties. Cross-sectional questionnaire survey amongst 549 Residents of 36 teaching programs in 15 hospitals in the Netherlands. The main outcome measure was faculty being seen as specialist role models by residents. Statistical analyses included (i) Pearson's correlation coefficients and (ii) multivariable logistic generalized estimating equations to assess the (adjusted) associations between each of five teaching qualities and 'being seen as a role model'. 407 residents completed a total of 4123 evaluations of 662 faculty. All teaching qualities were positively correlated with 'being seen as a role model' with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.49 for 'evaluation of residents' to 0.64 for 'learning climate' (P<0.001). Faculty most likely to be seen as good role models were those rated highly on 'feedback' (odds ratio 2.91, 95% CI: 2.41-3.51), 'a professional attitude towards residents' (OR 2.70, 95% CI: 2.34-3.10) and 'creating a positive learning climate' (OR 2.45, 95% CI: 1.97-3.04). Results did not seem to vary much across residency years. The relative strength of associations between teaching qualities and being seen as a role model were more distinct when comparing specialties. Good clinical educators are more likely to be seen as specialist role models for most residents.