DE05 (P046) The hidden generic curriculum: identifying and formalizing important soft skills for trainee dermatologists. A retrospective review of journal club experience (2022–2023)
Authors: Faisal Dubash, Sareena Gajebasia, Sanaa Butt, Sibel Demirel, Marese O’Reilly, Robert Dawe, Andrew Affleck
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2024)

Abstract We identified important soft skills not specifically highlighted within the dermatology trainee Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB) curriculum, from our journal club experience. We propose a ‘hidden generic curriculum’: a rapidly expanding list of important soft skills to be honed for enhancing trainee learning and competency, while facilitating the transition into consultant dermatologist. Initiated by trainees during the COVID pandemic, trainee-led and consultant/professor-facilitated journal club sessions were developed for in-person, virtual and hybrid formats. Sessions were designated for 08.00–09.00 h on Wednesdays, with voluntary attendance. Topics were chosen randomly and were mapped to the existing dermatology curriculum as ‘subdomains’. Learning points from articles were used to reflect on real-world clinical practice. Articles were discussed with PowerPoint aids, trainee-generated quizzes and podcasts as adjuncts to sessions. Our journal club format was utilized as a tool and curriculum adjunct to enhance soft skills important for practising dermatologists, leading to discussion around clinical cases. Common but perhaps overlooked important competencies used in everyday practice were identified, and a continually expanding list of skills has been generated, leading to comprehensive discussion between trainees and consultants. Group reflection followed, on when to apply learned skills in outpatients or during on-call settings, for example motivational interviewing in patients with chronic disease. We highlight our list of ‘top 10’ articles, recommended for trainees to reflect on in their journal clubs, allowing them to build on soft skills. This includes articles titled ‘dermatological games’, ‘SPIKES – a six-step protocol for delivering bad news: application to the patient with cancer’, ‘writing to patients’, ‘motivational interviewing in dermatology’, ‘suicide in dermatological patients’, ‘the difficult patient – the hateful patient revisited: relevance for 21st century medicine’, ‘achieving quality in clinical decision making: cognitive strategies and detection of bias’, ‘physician stress and burnout’, ‘compassionate care: enhancing physician–patient communication and education in dermatology’ and ‘how to train to discharge a dermatology outpatient: a review’. In a group, papers were summarized, learning points were noted, including why the article was important for trainees, and we proposed a hidden generic curriculum item or ‘subdomain’, later mapped to the JRCPTB curriculum. There are many other relevant articles beyond our top 10 list that have been used in subsequent journal club sessions. Exploring the ‘hidden generic curriculum’ may enhance the learning experience and trainee development. Our journal club format was utilized as a tool and curriculum adjunct to enhance soft skills important for practising dermatologists. It surely complements the existing JRCPTB curriculum for trainees and will likely lead to more well-rounded clinicians. Our local journal club format could be implemented by other centres, to enhance the UK dermatology trainee experience.