Multiple realities. Teaching rounds in an inpatient pediatric service
R. Shulman, L. Wilkerson and D. A. Goldman
North York Board of Education, Toronto, Ontario.
Teaching rounds are a mainstay of most educational programs for interns and
residents, but little is known about how they are conducted and the role
they play in house staff members' learning. We performed a qualitative
study of teaching rounds in an inpatient adolescent service using five data
sources: observations, interviews, house staff ratings, results of a house
staff retreat, and documents outlining faculty responsibilities. Interns,
senior residents, and faculty members expressed differing views regarding
the purpose, process, and content of rounds; mutual roles and expectations;
and time management. An interactive teaching format focused around the
visit of a patient to the conference room stimulated house staff interest
and learning to a greater extent than did more traditional case
presentations and lectures. These results suggest a need to develop a
consensus among faculty and house staff regarding the purpose, content, and
process of rounds.
