Development and Implementation of a Novel Case-Based Gun Violence Prevention Training Program for First-Year Residents.

PROBLEM: Gun violence results in approximately 40,000 deaths in the United States each year, yet physicians rarely discuss gun access and firearm safety with patients. Lack of education about how to have these conversations is an important barrier, particularly among trainees. APPROACH: A 2-part training curriculum was developed for first-year residents. It included (1) a didactic presentation outlining a framework to understand types of firearm-related violence, describing institutional resources, and reviewing strategies for approaching discussions about firearms with patients, and (2) interactive case scenarios, adjusted for clinical disciplines, with standardized patients. Before and after the training, participants completed surveys on the training's relevance, efficacy, and benefit. Standardized patients provided real-time feedback to participants and completed assessments based on prespecified learning objectives. OUTCOMES: In June-August 2019, 148 first-year residents in internal medicine (n = 74), general surgery (n = 12), emergency medicine (n = 15), pediatrics (n = 22), psychiatry (n = 16), and OB/GYN (n = 9) completed the training. Most (70%, n = 104) reported having no prior exposure to gun violence prevention education. Knowledge about available resources increased among participants from 3% (n = 5) pretraining to 97% (n = 143) post-training. Awareness about relevant laws, such as Extreme Risk Protection Orders, and their appropriate use increased from 3% (n = 4) pretraining to 98% (n = 145) post-training. Comfort discussing access to guns and gun safety with patients increased from a median of 5 pretraining to 8 post-training (on a scale of 1-10, with higher scores indicating more comfort). NEXT STEPS: Delivery of a case-based gun violence prevention training program was effective and feasible in a single institution. Next steps include expanding the training to other learners (across undergraduate and graduate medical education) and institutions and assessing how the program changes practice over time.

A multi-institutional study of the emotional intelligence of resident physicians.

BACKGROUND: Although emotional intelligence (EI) may have a role in the development of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies, few studies have measured resident EI across specialties. This study aimed to describe the EI of resident physicians across multiple specialties. METHODS: Three hundred twenty five surgery, pediatric, and pathology residents at 3 large academic institutions were invited to complete the psychometrically validated Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. RESULTS: The response rate was 42.8% (n = 139). Global EI of all residents (101.0 ± 8.1) was comparable with, but less variable than, the general population sample and was not statistically different between specialties. Compared with the norm sample, residents in the 3 specialty groups demonstrated unique combinations of areas of relative high and low development. CONCLUSIONS: There exist distinct strengths and opportunities for the development for surgery, pediatrics, and pathology residents. Future investigations could use EI profiling to create educational interventions to develop specific areas of EI and assess correlation with resident performance.

Are there gender differences in the emotional intelligence of resident physicians?

BACKGROUND: Because academic literature indicates that emotional intelligence (EI) is tied to work performance, job satisfaction, burnout, and client satisfaction, there is great interest in understanding physician EI. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether gender differences in resident EI profiles mirror EI gender differences in the general population. STUDY DESIGN (INCLUDE PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING): A total of 325 residents in 3 types of residency programs (pathology, pediatrics, and general surgery) at 3 large academic institutions were invited electronically to complete the validated Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue), a tool consisting of 153 items that cluster to 15 independent facets, 4 composite factors, and 1 global EI score. RESULTS: The response rate was 42.8% (n = 139, women = 84). Global EI was not significantly different between men and women resident physicians (p = 0.74). Women scored higher than men in the TEIQue facets impulse control (p = 0.004) and relationships (p = 0.004). Men scored higher than women in 2 facets, stress management (p = 0.008) and emotion management (p = 0.023). Within surgery (n = 85, women = 46), women scored higher than men in impulse control (p = 0.006), whereas men scored higher in stress management (p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Men and women residents across 3 specialties demonstrated near-identical global EI scores. However, gender differences in specific TEIQue facets suggest that similar to the general population, men and women residents may benefit from specific training of different EI domains to enhance well-rounded development. The lack of significant gender differences within surgery may indicate that surgery attracts individuals with particular EI profiles regardless of gender. Future research should focus on the functional relationship between educational interventions that promote targeted EI development and enhanced clinical performance.