Residents' assessment of mentoring received on lecture performance in a teaching and learning curriculum program

Abstract

IntroductionThis study evaluated residents' assessment of the mentorship received and how it impacted lecture performance as part of a teaching and learning curriculum (TLC) program. MethodsAn anonymous survey was emailed to residents completing the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Pharmacy's TLC during 2018–2019 and 2019–2020. The survey collected information about: the type of mentorship received, residents' self-perceived lecture performance, and residents' desire to be involved in academia post-residency. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Fisher's exact tests investigated the association between residents' self-perceived lecture enhancement due to mentorship and: mentors' involvement, residents' confidence in understanding the lecture topic, mentors' affiliation with VCU, and semester when the lecture occurred. Responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using thematic analysis. ResultsForty-two of 86 residents (48.8%) completed the survey. Residents who were part of the TLC but did not deliver a lecture (n = 7) or taught practitioners instead of students (n = 2) were excluded, resulting in 33 participants. The majority of residents (87.9%) agreed or strongly agreed that mentorship enhanced their lecture. Mentors' level of involvement was significantly associated with residents' perception that the mentorship they received enhanced their lecture (P < .008). Residents' confidence in understanding the lecture topic, mentor affiliation, and semester when the lecture occurred were not associated with residents' self-perceived lecture enhancement due to mentorship. ConclusionsActive mentorship was associated with better self-perceived lecture performance. The best criteria for lecture mentorship should be established in the future to help prepare residents to give lectures.