Striking a Balance: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis of General Surgery Residents' Perceptions of their Role as Medical Student Educators.

Background: General surgery (GS) residents are critical educators for medical students (MS). However, GS resident perceptions of this role remain unclear. This study aims to characterize GS resident perspectives on their roles as MS teachers.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with GS residents at a single institution. We designed open-ended questions to explore resident teaching roles: focusing on their definitions, support received, perceived importance, motivations, and barriers to teaching. Interview transcripts were inductively analyzed using thematic analysis, with iterative coding conducted by multiple team members to identify and refine emergent themes.

Results: A total of 19 residents participated (postgraduate year range: 1-7). Residents had varied definitions of their role as teachers, frequently emphasizing MS identity formation and comfort within the surgical environment over technical knowledge transfer. Most residents expressed a sense of obligation to teach, though this was often self-driven rather than incentivized. Engaging with MS was viewed as a significant daily responsibility, considered almost as important as patient care. While no structured curriculum for teaching exists, residents emphasized the value of exemplary role models in shaping their teaching approach and the desire for recognition of their teaching efforts. Challenges to teaching included workflow and patient care demands, with confidence in clinical and technical skills often impacting teaching engagement.

Conclusions: Our proposed framework demonstrates that GS residents experience teaching MS as a dynamic balance of multiple professional roles and responsibilities. They view themselves as mentors and cultural liaisons, along with educators. However, confidence varies in balancing dual roles as learners and teachers. Understanding these perceptions can guide institutions in better supporting GS residents as educators.