New Format for Neurology Resident Day and Progress Discussion

Resident Dr. Baukje van der Star (Medical Spectrum Twente) and her colleagues from VAAN modified the format of the application interview for residents and preceptors. She also revamped the Neurology Residency Day with her colleagues.

Bokji serves on the board of VAAN, the national association of neurology residents, which, among other things, is considering training with the NVN. Part of this is a regular progress meeting between the resident and the (vice) preceptor. Bokji says there needs to be a better structure to the conversations. “This is important in training. It’s not just about your education, it’s about your well-being and your work-life balance. Your future is also discussed. At VAAN we’ve heard from the clinic that progress discussions vary greatly by training hospital. Sometimes it’s a lot about checking boxes. That’s why we wanted to provide more structure to the progress discussion, with more guidance for both the preceptor and the residents.”

Guidance and evaluation

Improving the progress discussion has already been a long-term project within VAAN and Baukje has taken this further with other board members. Their focus has been on feedback from the training group, self-reflection among residents, growth in training and individual desires. “A structured mix of mentoring and evaluation,” she says. “We have presented the plan to NVN and they have approved it. It is now being adapted into the Reconcept digital portfolio. I expect it to be online this year.”

Bokji believes that the most important change is to provide more space to meet the wishes of the residents. More attention is paid to personalization within the broad framework of the training. Bokji is satisfied with the new design: “MST already pays a lot of attention to the wishes of the residents. But there is also the added value that the progressive meeting structure is now black and white.

Neurology Resident Day

Bokje also co-organized the Neurology Residency Day with fellow resident Dr. Tsz Hung Wong, who knows a lot about dementia. “The NVN asked us to renew that day,” she says. “This day has already happened in the past, but it has stopped. However, for both NVNs and residents there is a need to get information about neurology: what does a neurologist do and how does this relate to clinical neurological practice? “This floor has now become central to our day,” says Bokje. “My colleague and I come from research. That’s why we enjoyed working on this with neurologists and neurosurgeons in the country.

The Neurology Resident Day is now mandatory for all third-year Neurology residents and has now been held several times in Utrecht as a central location. There has been a lot of enthusiasm for this, says Bockje. “An additional day has been organised for other interested senior residents. The day is set up in a very practical way based on case studies. The residents prepare this and give a presentation about it, and then the expert gives more details. It is a very practical and educational day! Not only do we think so ourselves, but we also hear it from the other residents.”