• Jonathan C Barnwell, Jason J Halvorson, Robert D Teasdall, and Eben A Carroll.
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Electronic address: Jonathanbarnwell@gmail.com.
• J Surg Educ. 2017 Jan 1; 74 (1): 61-67.

ObjectiveTo evaluate orthopedic resident perceptions of a didactic curriculum presented in traditional and case-based formats.DesignProspective cohort study using anonymous web-based survey after each conference evaluating resident perceptions of faculty participation, didactic delivery, content, and overall conference value. Conferences were structured as primarily case-based or traditional lecture. Logistic analysis was performed to determine factors predictive of rating a conference as valuable time spent.SettingOrthopedic residency training program at single institution over an academic year.ParticipantsOrthopedic residents in postgraduate training year 1 to 5 attending mandatory didactic conference.ResultsCased-based conferences received higher Likert ratings on residents' perception of faculty participation, instructor delivery, and improvement in topic understanding when compared to traditional lecture-based conferences (p < 0.0001 for each factor). Residents also were more likely to rate case-based conferences as valuable time spent (p < 0.0001). In our logistic model, factors associated with a negative likelihood of rating a conference as valuable were lecture format (odds ratio [OR] = 0.155, 95% CI: 0.115-0.208), PGY-2 level presenter (OR = 0.288, 95% CI: 0.169-0.490), and PGY-3 level presenter (OR = 0.433, 95% CI: 0.269-0.696). Timing in the year, surgical subspeciality, and conference identity were not significant predictors of conference value rating.ConclusionsLongitudinal resident feedback demonstrates highly favorable resident perceptions toward case-based formats in didactic sessions. Junior levels residents are not perceived as effective as senior residents and faculty in presenting material in either format. These methods allow for a dynamic approach to identifying strengths and weaknesses in a resident curriculum as a well as a means for more focused and real-time improvements.Copyright © 2016 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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