This author interview is by Dr Samir Johna, of the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Dr Johna's full paper, Can Reflective Writing Reconcile ACGME Core Competencies with Daily Encounters in Medical Education? A Prospective, Randomized, Cross-over Pilot Study, is available for download in Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development.

Please summarise for readers the content of your article

This article looks into the feasibility of using a simple and affordable pedagogy in teaching ACGME core competencies using reflective writing through narratives.

How did you come to be involved in your area of study?

I am the founding program director for a community based general surgery residency program and I am interested in medical education.

What was previously known about the topic of your article?

Reflective writing through narratives has not been used before for teaching ACGME core competencies. The first author had published a couple of abstracts and article about this topic and is taking his research a step further.

How has your work in this area advanced understanding of the topic?

I believe that narratives are excellent tools that are available to everyone and if used properly, can enhance the learning experience of our trainees in areas of ACGME core competencies.

What do you regard as being the most important aspect of the results reported in the article?

While we could not prove that using narrative improved skills, we were able to confirm that we were underpowered. We were able using the results from this work to calculate the minimal size of the sample in each arm to answer our research question. This will help investigators to more on with larger prospective studies.

Dr Samir Johna
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
California, USA

 

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