12th June 2009 - Medical Student Teaching

In response to some queries raised at the School of Surgery meeting held in March 2009, we undertook to survey trainees to ascertain views and relevant experience in teaching of undergraduates.

A meeting was held on Friday 12th June 2009 at the request of Professor Campbell to further discuss issues raised.  A report on the meeting outcome is below.  The full NI ASiT document "The Role of the Surgical Trainee in in Teaching Delivery for Undergraduate Surgical Education" can be downloaded from the link at the bottom of the page, and includes the survey results.

"Meeting 12th June 2009, venue, NIMDTA.

Present:

Dr T McMurray (Postgraduate Dean, Chairman)

Mr J Campbell (Head, SoS)

Professor C Campbell (Professor of Surgery, QUB)

Professor RAJ Spence (Honorary Professor of Surgery, QUB)

Mr C Marron (President, NIASiT)

Mrs J Currie (Administrator, SoS)

The meeting was chaired by Dr T McMurray and began with Professor Campbell outlining the background to the meeting.

Professor Campbell stated that QUB had received complaints from undergraduated in the academic year 2008-09 about the quantity and quality of teaching that was being delivered on undergraduate attachments to surgical units, and in particular a couple of units were specifically highlighted as being worse than others.  One of the main reasons that was perceived to contribute to this was teachers 'failing to turn up' or being poorly prepared, and the feeling was that this was the obligation of trainees to fulfill this role, and it was unacceptable that trainees were not teaching.

It was suggested that trainees who fail to turn up to teaching sessions should be reported and have this discussed as part of the RITA process. 

Mr Campbell responded to highlight that at the previous School of Surgery (SoS) meeting that Professor Campbell had suggested that this should result in trainees being awarded a RITA D if failing to teach undergraduates, which had been verified by other members of the SoS present at that meeting.  Mr Campbell outlined that this was not an appropriate course of action, and that as a resolution, he was to establish what the role and responsibility of the trainee was to teach undergraduate students.  Professor Campbell responded that he had been unaware of the suggestion that a RITA D should be awarded, and if that was what had been said that he wished to retract that statement.

I was then invited to present the details of the survey and outlined the highlight findings which were that trainees were delivering a lot of the undergraduate teaching at both 3rd and 5th year levels, and that a large proportion of this was on a voluntary basis outside normal working hours, and therefore on the basis of goodwill.  I explained that trainees enjoyed teaching medical students and wished to continue to do so, however with increasing pressure on hours and the need to maintain their own training that this might be dropped, particularly if pressure was put on with it being assessed in a RITA process, especially given that the vast majority demonstrate their teaching competencies in other ways.  I also explained that the majority of trainees had received no formal training, assessment, or feedback on the quality of their teaching, and hence questioned about how this could be assessed at a RITA process without this being formally taught or trained in teaching delivery.

A discussion followed and there was a continuing insistence that the RITA process should analyse the role of the trainee in undergraduate teaching, however it was of the opinion of the vast majority of those present that this was an unreasonable course of action, with Professor Spence commenting that he wished to make very clear that:  'The proposal that trainees should be evaluated in teaching in a RITA process was not acceptable and not something which had come from him, in his role within the university', and that he wished to 'make very clear to trainees that the University valued the contribution of trainees to undergraduate teaching'.  He also wished to make clear that the University actually took an opposite view, and wished to help support and encourage those people with an interest and drive in teaching and education by supporting their role and looking to provide a suite of courses to help establish these things.

Dr McMurray also wished to see it established the there would be single day courses in teaching methods available to surgical trainees through NIMDTA in the near future as well.

The conclusion of the meeting was that the University valued the contribution of trainees in undergraduate education, and that it would seek to work with trainees to develop methods to support undergraduate educators and encourage the role of people involved in teaching, and that teaching of undergraduate trainees should definitely NOT be assessed as part of the RITA assessment.

Conor Marron

13th June 2009"

The general tone and outcome of this meeting was very positive and favourable for trainees, and I have given a commitment to working with Robin Baker to help try and establish what trainees can do to help deliver the undergraduate teaching in the years to come.

We would be grateful for any feedback or opinions on the written report or the meeting outcome that you feel like sharing.  Some responses have been received to date.  Please submit feedback using the feedback form at the link below:

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