Work

A Longitudinal Competency-Based Residents-As-Teachers Online Program: A Pilot Study Across Multiple Medical Specialties

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Junior doctors play an important role as clinical educators; however, practical systematic programs that cultivate their teaching skills are not well established. While existing Residents-as-Teachers (RaT) programs predominantly consist of one-off workshops, the feasibility of a competency-based, longitudinal, multi-institutional online model remains essentially unexplored. Objective: We developed a one-year longitudinal online RaT program based on teaching competencies identified in our previous study using a modified Delphi method. This study evaluated the feasibility of that program for junior physicians across multiple medical specialties using Bowen's feasibility framework. Methods: Thirty-seven junior physicians (postgraduate years 3-8) from 26 institutions across Japan participated in an online program consisting of nine modules, each 90 minutes in length, delivered over five sessions (one module in the first session; two modules per session in sessions 2-5). The curriculum was grounded in Kolb's experiential learning model. Feasibility was assessed across the three domains of acceptability, implementation, and practicality. Results: The overall perceived value of the program was high at 4.5/5.0 (response rate 54.1%). Attendance rates ranged from 64.9% to 94.6% (mean 78.1%) across all modules. Average submission rates for pre-session and post-session assignments were 77.7% and 58.0%, respectively. The completion rate within the same program year was 56.8% (21/37). There were no dropouts. The lowest participation rate was observed for the motivation module (64.9%) and the lowest perceived value for the communication modules (4.1/5.0). Conclusion: This competency-based, longitudinal online RaT program demonstrated high feasibility as a pilot learning initiative for junior physicians across multiple medical specialties. Future studies should focus on optimizing the program workload and measuring behavioral changes in teaching using objective indicators.

Source: Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development

DOI: 10.1177/23821205261487480

Authors: Shunsuke Kosugi, Tadayuki Hashimoto, Makoto Kikukawa

Institutions: Kyushu University, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University

Language: English

Topic: Innovations in Medical Education

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,500