Improving Trainee Doctor Participation in Undergraduate Psychiatry Teaching: A Quality Improvement Project

Natalie Hughes; Frank Reakes; Jo Davies; Richard Brown; Prakash Muthu

doi:10.1192/bjo.2022.304

Improving Trainee Doctor Participation in Undergraduate Psychiatry Teaching: A Quality Improvement Project

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 June 2022

Natalie Hughes ,

Frank Reakes ,

Jo Davies ,

Richard Brown and

Prakash Muthu

Show author details

Natalie Hughes*: Affiliation:
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom
Frank Reakes: Affiliation:
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom
Jo Davies: Affiliation:
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom
Richard Brown: Affiliation:
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom
Prakash Muthu: Affiliation:
Gloucestershire Health & Care NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, United Kingdom
*: *Presenting author.

Article contents

Abstract

Rights & Permissions

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Aims

Good medical practice encompasses teaching students which is a core competency for trainee doctors. The aim of this project was to assess and improve junior doctor participation in undergraduate psychiatry teaching.

Methods

2 surveys were conducted: 1) Psychiatry-related trainee doctors working in Severn Deanery were emailed a questionnaire to assess their involvement in undergraduate teaching, including barriers and motivators for teaching; 2) doctors with a formal role in teaching were sent a questionnaire to explore their views on recruiting trainee doctors to teach. Questionnaires consisted of multiple answer questions, matrix questions and qualitative free text answer questions. Trainees were then delivered a presentation advertising teaching opportunities. The impact of this on recruitment into psychiatry undergraduate teaching was reassessed by questionnaire.

Results

44 responses were received to the first survey; 13 to the second. The most common answer trainees gave for factors that prevented involvement with teaching students was “unaware of teaching opportunities,” and “lack of overall availability due to clinical commitments.” The most common factor chosen as a motivator for involvement was “notification of session date/timing early in placement” and “protected teaching time in job-plan.” The results highlighted difficulties recruiting trainee doctors to teach, resulting in tutors reducing, cancelling or adapting sessions due to lack of support.

Conclusion

This project identifies barriers and motivators of trainee doctor involvement in undergraduate medical education. To ensure lasting participation of trainees in medical education, support is needed for protected time to teach in clinical roles.

Type: Quality Improvement
Information: BJPsych Open , Volume 8 , Supplement S1: Abstracts of the RCPsych International Congress 2022, 20–23 June , June 2022 , pp. S98

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2022.304 [Opens in a new window]
Creative Commons: This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.