• Julie Roth, Andrew Chang, Brittany Ricci, Megan Hall, and Niharika Mehta.
• J Grad Med Educ. 2020 Feb 1; 12 (1): 86-91.

BackgroundMedical podcasts have the potential to educate residents and fellows in specialized or uncommon disciplines, but the acceptability and benefits of educational podcasts are unclear.ObjectiveWe compared knowledge acquisition and engagement of audio-only (podcast) versus written curricular formats and assessed podcast feasibility and uptake for teaching obstetrical neurology to residents and fellows.MethodsKey concepts in obstetrical neurology were developed into parallel case-based modules: written reviews and podcasts interwove patient and expert voices with narration. In 2017, we tested this curriculum among 60 volunteer residents and fellows in obstetrics and gynecology, neurology, emergency medicine, internal medicine, and family medicine training programs at a single institution. Participants took content-based pretests, were randomized, and then completed written (n = 32) or podcast (n = 28) modules, and finally, completed posttests and feedback questionnaires.ResultsAmong all participants, there was an increase in immediate posttest scores compared with pretest scores (46 of 60, 77% ± 17% pretest versus 56 of 60, 93% ± 10% posttest, P < .05), with participants in the podcast and written groups performing equally well. However, listeners rated the podcasts somewhat higher than written materials in the areas of maintaining interest, enjoyability, entertaining, and desire for wider use.ConclusionsWritten and podcast curricula improved immediate knowledge similarly, but the narrative-style podcasts were perceived as more enjoyable by residents and fellows from several specialties, suggesting narrative podcasting can be an engaging and feasible educational alternative for trainees to acquire information.Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education 2020.

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