Learning environment and resident achievement.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of program training atmosphere on the academic performance among internal medicine residents.

Material And Method: Data of satisfaction survey among internal medicine residents in academic year 2012, conducted by the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand, were retrieved. Association between training environment rating scores in three major aspects (program training structure, faculty nurturance, and support system) and board certifying examination scores, were then assessed.

Results: There were 12 training centers with 535 residents in that academic year. The mean satisfaction score for second-year residents was 77.1 ± 6.1, and the mean written examination score was 56.4 ± 4.6, with the modest correlation (r = 0.515, p = 0.087). For the third-year residents, the mean satisfaction score was 78.5 ± 6.5 and the mean clinical examination score was 71.1 ± 1.6, with no correlation (r = -0.004, p = 0.991). In the subgroup analysis in second-year residents, program training structure had strongest influence (r = 0.569, p = 0.053), as compared to faculty nurturance (r = 0.425, p = 0.169), andsupport system (r = 0.492, p = 0.104).

Conclusion: Perception of positive training environment, especially the program training structure, may influence the performance of internal medicine residents in term of knowledge achievement as determined by written examination score. However, it has no effect in terms of clinical skill accomplishments, as determined by clinical examination scores.