Surgical Resident Doctors' Perception of their Training using Surgical Theatre Educational Environment Measure (STEEM) Tool in Postgraduate Surgical Residency Training Institutions in Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Postgraduate Medical Education is ‘the constellation of learning activities carried out to enable doctors to develop relevant competencies and deeper knowledge in specific subject areas after completion of basic medical education’. The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of surgical resident doctors of their training in accredited institutions in Nigeria, using the Surgical Theatre Educational Environment Measure (STEEM) inventory. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional observational study that employed the STEEM instrument which was administered online via email to surgical resident doctors in all the surgical residency training institutions in Nigeria accredited by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. The STEEM is a validated 40 item, self-administered questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23. Cronbach's alpha was calculated for the whole STEEM and the sub-scales for both reliability and internal consistency. Results: One hundred and sixty-six respondents filled the questionnaire out of 464 people contacted, giving a respondent rate of 35.7%. There were 156 (94.0%) males and 10 (6.0%) female respondents. One hundred respondents (60.2%) had global STEEM scores less than the benchmark of 120, three (1.8%) with scores of 120 and 63 (38.0%) had scores >120. Conclusion: The majority of the respondents in our study indicated dissatisfaction with their operational educational environment experience.