Qualities and Methods of Highly Effective Surgical Educators: A Grounded Theory Model.

Objective: To identify personal qualities and teaching methods of highly effective surgical educators using a novel research design.

Design: In this qualitative study, surgical residents were sent an electronic survey soliciting nominations for faculty perceived as highly effective surgical educators. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with surgeons receiving the most nominations. Grounded theory methodology identified themes for analysis.

Setting: General, vascular, and plastic surgery residents and faculty at the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Participants: A total of 77 surgical residents were surveyed. Data saturation occurred after 12 semistructured interviews with attending surgeons, corresponding to the top 15% of faculty.

Results: Interviewees described both personal characteristics and specific teaching approaches that facilitated successful learning. These included providing exceptional surgical education as a mission, a strong influence from past mentors and role models, a love for the profession, and a low rate of self-professed burnout. Desirable teaching methods included promoting a culture of psychological safety (the perceived ability to take interpersonal risks within one's environment), progressive autonomy, accountability of trainees, and individualized teaching for the learner. Interviewees saw education as inseparable from clinical duties, and all surgeons believed providing exceptional patient care was the foundation of effective surgical teaching. The derived themes suggested that educators prefer "cognitive-based" approaches, focusing on learning processes rather than specific outcomes.

Conclusions: This study identified characteristics and educational styles of highly effective educators in a cohort of academic surgeons. This framework may inform the development of educational programs for residents and faculty in effective teaching methods.