Browsing by Author "Grendar, Jan"

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    Experiences of Conformity in Postgraduate Medical Education
    (2015-12-22) Grendar, Jan; Beran, Tanya; Oddone Paolucci, Elizabeth; Hecker, Kent; Kassam, Aliya; Ellard, John
    A questionnaire was used to study the perception of conformity in Postgraduate Medical Education. The goals were to describe: (1) the extent of perception of pressure to conform in PGME, (2) factors that influence pressure to conform, and (3) trainees’ perception of how conformity influences their educational experience. 166 residents participated (21.3% of all residents). Individual characteristics (age, sex, PGY level, educational background) and residency program characteristics (surgical/nonsurgical, size) were not associated with a significant difference in perception of pressure to conform. Participants’ higher hierarchy rank, scenarios during off-service rotations and informal educational encounters were associated with significantly higher perception of pressure to conform. An equal number of residents perceived conformity as having a positive and negative influence on acquisition of knowledge and skills. In conclusion, although individual or program characteristics were not associated with differences in perception of pressure to conform in PGME, educational scenario characteristics were.
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    Experiences of pressure to conform in postgraduate medical education
    (2018-01-03) Grendar, Jan; Beran, Tanya; Oddone-Paolucci, Elizabeth
    Abstract Background Perception of pressure to conform prevents learners from actively participating in educational encounters. We expected that residents would report experiencing different amounts of pressure to conform in a variety of educational settings. Methods A total of 166 residents completed questionnaires about the frequency of conformity pressure they experience across 14 teaching and clinical settings. We examined many individual characteristics such as their age, sex, international student status, level of education, and tolerance of ambiguity; and situational characteristics such as residency program, type of learning session, status of group members, and type of rotation to determine when conformity pressure is most likely to occur. Results The majority of participants (89.8%) reported pressure to conform at least sometimes in at least one educational or clinical setting. Residents reported higher rates of conformity during informal, rather than formal, teaching sessions, p < .001. Also, pressure was greater when residents interacted with higher status group members, but not with the same or lower level status members, p < .001. Effect sizes were in the moderate range. Conclusions The findings suggest that most residents do report feeling pressure to conform in their residency settings. This result is consistent with observations of medical students, nursing students, and clerks conforming in response to inaccurate information within experimental studies. Perception of pressure is associated with the setting rather than the trainee personal characteristics.