Improving resident education on the inpatient solid tumor oncology rotation through development of an asynchronous video curriculum

ABSTRACT

Background: As the oncology patient population grows, continued recruitment of talented individuals is essential. Meaningful and highly educational clinical exposures play a crucial role in a resident's decision to pursue fellowship in oncology. Currently, the majority of oncology exposure occurs in the inpatient setting, where trainees are confronted with many competing clinical demands, leaving minimal time for teaching. Prior work has demonstrated that dedicated time for teaching supplemented with high-yield educational material improves trainee satisfaction and interest in a particular field. We hypothesize that implementing an asynchronous inpatient video oncology curriculum will improve resident clinical competency and satisfaction. Methods: This is an ongoing, single institution educational intervention using the Kern method for curriculum development in the Johns Hopkins Osler Internal Medicine Residency (IRB00307077). A targeted needs assessment has been developed to identify gaps in medical knowledge, assess preparedness in managing common solid tumor inpatient diagnoses, and explore satisfaction with prior educational experiences on this service. Based on these results, ten educational videos will be created by content experts and aligned with the learning objectives of the Osler residency program and ABIM blueprint. Trainees will have dedicated time to watch the videos during their solid tumor rotation. We plan to evaluate effectiveness of our curriculum by measuring completion rates and pre- and post-video multiple choice responses. We will also assess knowledge retention and resident satisfaction at three and six months post-rotation with online questionnaires. Results: Annual Osler program ACGME survey data review revealed a high level of resident dissatisfaction with the oncology clinical experience compared with other rotations. While 83.3% of residents rated their general internal medicine experience as “excellent,” only 52.4% rated their oncology experience as “excellent.” Needs assessment data collection has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic but is ongoing. Following topic selection, videos will be created in April 2022 with plans for video curriculum implementation in July 2022. Conclusions: In order to attract and retain trainees in the field of oncology, it is imperative that educational curricula adapts to meet learners' needs. Efficient, evidence-based instructional strategies designed to promote clinical competency for internal medicine residents on an inpatient solid tumor service may foster engagement and rotation satisfaction. We are currently evaluating how an asynchronous video inpatient oncology curriculum may significantly improve the inpatient internal medicine trainee experience. If successful, this curriculum can be adapted for other trainees and practitioners new to the field of oncology.