Chiefs with tough choices

R1s got the first choice with our Holiday Book fair but the R4s took it every bit as seriously. I love the concentration here!

TS

iPad vs. Textbook

Last Thursday we held our randomization for our iPad vs. Textbook Initiative. For the uninitiated, the WashUOBGYN Residency Program will be outfitting half of the residency with iPads while the other half get an equivalent textbook fund. We will evaluate residents in terms of objective performance on exams as well as satisfaction with educational resources.

Before the randomization, everyone left with a textbook. Just a little gift from Dr. Peipert to the residents.

In this video, you will see our "Holiday Tree". We used a computerized generator to randomize residents to iPad or textbooks. Their choice is written on a card and placed in an envelope with their name on it. One by one, we let residents come to the front to pick their card.

Here's a video of R1 Natalia selecting her card.

A great time was had by all but now the real work starts!

Happy Holidays and Happy Learning!

Tony Shanks

Resident Christmas Gift: iPads vs. Books

We are less than one week away from a very special residency Christmas "party". There are several things that are happening this Thursday (December 16).

First: Dr. Peipert has collected over 50 textbooks (including Williams, Gabbe, Speroff) and plans to give them to the residents as a Christmas gift. Interns will get the first choice followed by R2s then R3s followed by R4s. I tried to do a Yankee Swap (see: The Office) but was vetoed. So EVERYONE gets something!

Second: and this is a doozy. We are going to start our iPad vs. Textbook study. What is that you ask? Well, it is exactly as it sounds. The entire residency program is going to be randomized to receive either an iPad or an equivalent amount of money to purchase textbooks. We will then spend the next 12 months evaluating resident performance on CREOGS as well as module quizzes. Other things that we are going to track include satisfaction, study patterns and overall pieces of paper saved. As we've mentioned many times before, our residency video library is being digitalized and will now be able to be uploaded (via iTunes) to each iPad. This is a very exciting project and a huge undertaking for the department. (I really haven't moved very far from trying to get the program to buy me a Wii during my chief year.)

Third: The Department Christmas party. Enough said.

Alumni, I would be happy to give you more info if you desire and I can always come up with ways to get you involved in the program.

Happy Holidays!
Tony Shanks