(Research Hub Theater) Integrating Professional Development Lectures into Didactics

Objective: By May 2023, we plan to improve PM&R resident understanding and comfort with professional development topics by 2 points on the Likert scale assessment.

Design: Plan-Design-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle for professional development lectures during didactics

Setting: Academic institution

Participants: PM&R residents at an academic institution

Interventions: Survey residents about what professional development topics they would like to be covered, work with the academic chiefs to provide lectures on professional development, and analyze the continuation of integrating a series of professional development lectures during didactics.

Main Outcome Measures: Likert scale score based on familiarity of content pre and post lecture

Results: There were 14 professional development lectures during didactics from April 2022 to June 2023. Of those lectures, half of them were given over a 2-month period from April 2022 until May 2022. The remaining lectures were spread out over the following academic year from September 2022 to June 2023 for a more longitudinal approach based on resident feedback. Current topics ranged from contract negotiation, conflict management, financial planning, home buying, and physiatrists’ role in SNF/LTACs. Future topics suggested by residents included getting promoted in academic medicine, starting a private practice, and utilizing maternity/paternity leave. There were 23 resident responses with an equal breakdown among PGY2, PGY3, and PGY4 levels. The total mean change in Likert scores pre and post-lecture was 3.958, indicating an increase in familiarity of the specific professional development topic. For example, 4/23 (17.4%) scored 4-5 on the Likert scale (equivalent to “agree” and “strongly agree”) pre-lecture versus 16/23 (69.6%) post-lecture when asked about how familiar they felt evaluating components of a contract. 100% of respondents indicated that it would be beneficial to continue to include business aspects of medicine during didactics.

Conclusions: Residents found professional development lectures beneficial and would like to continue integrating them into didactics.