A qualitative study on the teaching and training practices of consultant anaesthetists as experienced by registrars at Wits

Abstract

Background A qualitative study was done in the Department of Anaesthesia at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), South Africa. Interviews were conducted amongst registrars exploring their experience of consultant teaching within the department. Objective The study aim was to describe registrar’s experience of consultant teaching in the Wits Department of Anaesthesia. Method Registrars in the Wits Department of Anaesthesia were invited to participate in individual or small-group semi-structured interviews between November 2022 and February 2023. Twenty-one registrars were interviewed. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analysed. The data were coded using MAXQDA software and themes were identified. Results A 143 codes were grouped together to form 11 themes. In the results, registrars expressed what they expected from consultant teachers, how they experience the teaching program, and the consultants that teach them. There was a different focus in teaching experience based on seniority. Registrars highlighted what made teachers excellent or below average. They also made suggestions on how to improve their teaching experience. Conclusion Many factors influence how registrars experience consultant teaching including registrar seniority, preferred teaching style and setting of teaching. There was a variable opinion on the importance of consultants as teachers. Registrars highlighted various ways which could impact their training experience positively, such as making use of all learning opportunities and optimising time in theatre allocated to teaching. These changes could contribute to the teaching excellence the Wits Department of Anaesthesia strives for.