Implementing a Residents as Teachers Program for Interns in Residencies in Community Hospitals

Abstract

General surgery residents play a vital role in undergraduate medical education, often serving as primary instructors during clinical rotations and contributing to students’ development in communication, professionalism, and clinical reasoning. However, most interns begin residency without formal training in teaching strategies, feedback delivery, or student engagement. This lack of preparation can lead to inconsistent instruction and missed opportunities to foster inclusive, supportive learning environments. To address this gap, our medical school developed the Residents as Teachers Program (RATP), a structured, interactive session implemented during intern orientation across seven affiliated hospitals. The session introduces essential instructional skills, including setting expectations, adapting teaching methods across various clinical settings, supporting students who struggle, promoting psychological safety, and delivering effective feedback using Pendleton’s model. Interns also learn to write clear, constructive student evaluations grounded in clerkship objectives. Throughout the session, interns participate in case-based discussions, real-time reflection, and small-group activities designed to reinforce key teaching behaviors. These exercises encourage interns to connect their own experiences as students with practical tools they can use as new educators. The RATP is intentionally designed to be scalable and adaptable, making it well-suited for community and rural hospitals, as well as settings without residency programs where formal teaching preparation is limited. By equipping interns with these foundational skills early in their training, the program enhances the educational experience for medical students and fosters a feedback-rich, learner-centered culture in surgical education.