Two Personal Factors of Surgical Residents Affecting Metacognitive Competency

• In Event: Assessment Issues in Competency-Based Education in the Professions

Abstract

Perspective: Graduate medical education currently emphasizes competency-driven practices (Bell, 2009; Frank et al., 2010; Nasa, Philibert, Brigham, & Flynn, 2012). While educators aspire to offer better educational environments for promoting residents’ competency outcomes, little is known about the role of residents’ attributes in affecting learning behaviors for improving competency outcomes through resident education.
Objectives: With the principle hypothesis that personal factors may affect competency improvement, we examined the relationships between emotional intelligence and learner autonomy profile and surgical resident competencies over time. We focused on four competencies: fund of knowledge, critical thinking, technical skills, and interpersonal skills.
Methods and Data Sources: In a prospective cohort design, we assessed the attributes of 16 residents at the beginning of the year and then monitored their faculty-rated competency scores between 2013 and 2014. The longitudinal study outcome, therefore, is surgical residents' cumulative competency as assessed by faculty over the course of a yearlong residency program. Residents included in the study were from the first to the seventh year of the program and responded to the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire - Short Form (TEIQue-SF) (Cooper, & Petrides, 2010; Patrides & Furnham, 2006). and the Learner Autonomy Profile - Short Form (LAP-SF) (Confessore, & Park, 2004).
Results: Multivariable model of univariate regression for 16 residents’ longitudinal outcomes showed that emotionality scores higher than 5.63 (p<0.05) and high learner autonomy profile (Stanine 7-9, p=0.04) accounted for 44% variance in a linear relationship with competency improvement in thinking (metacognitive competency, p<0.01).
Significance: Resident personal factors can affect competency improvement. Competency-based education practice should assess significant learner characteristics, while teaching technical skills.

Author

• Eunmi Park, Johns Hopkins University