Evaluation of the one-minute preceptor as a teaching method for family medicine residents

Background and objective: Health professionals struggle to appropriately train resident doctors in overcrowded medical centers. The one-minute preceptor teaching approach is an effective teaching model that provides a solution to the problem. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of a one-minute preceptor in improving the clinical teaching skills of supervisors and the critical thinking skills of residents and to assess the residents' and supervisors’ attitudes toward a one-minute preceptor. Methods: From October 1, 2021, to February 28, 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the Family Medicine department at Hawler Medical University, in Erbil, Iraq. Eight family medicine supervisors and 30 resident doctors at the specialized Family Medicine Health Center were involved in the study. Pre-and-post assessment questions were administered to the supervisors before and after one-minute preceptor training to assess their knowledge. Kirkpatrick's evaluation model was used to evaluate supervisors’ knowledge and application of skills after training, and to assess whether intended outcomes occurred with the residents. Results: All supervisors agreed that this approach to teaching should be incorporated into medical education (50% agreed and 50% strongly agreed) and improved their teaching skills (75% agreed, 25% strongly agreed). More than half of the residents agreed that this new teaching method should be incorporated into medical education. (50% agreed and 10% strongly agreed) Conclusion: The one-minute preceptor teaching model intends to provide doctors with an effective framework to improve their instructional effectiveness.