Survey of teaching, research and conference experiences of paediatric surgical trainees in Nigeria

Aim : To determine the teaching methods used by residents in paediatric surgery in Nigeria and their exposure to research and conferences. Materials and Methods : A structured questionnaire was administered to trainees in paediatric surgery in Nigeria seeking information regarding different teaching methods used, frequency of use, involvement in research and participation in conferences. Results : There were 11 respondents (91.6%) of 12 questionnaires that were distributed. All of them were training in accredited teaching hospitals in Nigeria. All of them had been involved in teaching medical students. Ten residents were involved in teaching in wards/bedside two times or more in a week and all were involved in teaching at the clinics. Only one resident used audiovisual aid at least once a week to teach students. Eight trainees used tutorial or seminar group discussion as a teaching tool once a week. Four trainees had not used written essay as a way of teaching students while five had never given students lectures in a classroom before. All the respondents had participated in retrospective research while nine had been involved in prospective research. Nine residents had attended conferences nationally while two had attended international conferences. Six trainees presented a paper or more at national conferences while one presented at an international conference. Conclusion : Trainees in paediatric surgery in Nigeria are significantly involved in the teaching of undergraduate medical students and clinical research. This should be encouraged and further enhanced by motivating the trainees to attend international conferences.