TOTBV-05: USING GUIDED MEDITATION AS AN ADJUCT TO OPERATIVE TEACHING
Jennifer Agnes Serfin, MD; Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center

What problem in education is addressed by this work?:
Junior residents often approach operative cases with review of steps in an independent manner. Without guidance, residents are sometimes exposed to various techniques in the operating room for the first time; this can be stressful and not conducive to learning or retention. Our residents have access to a simulation lab, but they are not able to visit the lab on a daily basis.

Describe the intervention:
Residents spend between 10 - 30 minutes during their didactic sessions in a group based guided meditation. The meditation sessions are led by a surgeon to introduce techniques to junior residents, and to help senior residents hone their existing knowledge. By providing these concepts during a meditation session, our goal is to improve learning and retention in a safe and comfortable environment, while giving them tools that can be used outside of a dedicated simulation lab environment.

Describe how this intervention could be applied at other institutions. Please specifically comment on identified barriers that could exist and how they could be overcome:
The sessions can be recorded and distributed to other institutions. The intervention is low cost considering minimal equipment is required for the sessions. Potential barriers would be lack of time, lack of institutional buy-in, lack of space for group participation.