Exploring the effects of medical trainee naming: a randomized experiment

PURPOSE: There is no rigorous exploration of how the different titles used by medical trainees in medical school affect patients’ perceptions of trainees. This study has two aims: (1) to understand the effects of medical trainee title on subjects’ perceptions, and (2) to understand the effects of informing subjects about the medical education system on comfort with trainees. METHODS: A survey was distributed utilizing Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (n = 432). To explore aim 1 and 2, the survey included one randomized experimental treatment asking participants to imagine they were partaking in a hypothetical clinical encounter with a medical trainee using one of three titles. To explore aim 2, the survey instrument included an educational section and assessed changes in subjects’ comfort with trainees. RESULTS: There was no association between trainee title and subjects’ perceptions of trainee responsibility, education level, or comfort with being examined. However, 41.4 % (n = 179) of subjects were not aware of the medical trainees’ training level, and education resulted in significant increases in comfort with being interviewed and examined by a trainee (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: While trainee naming was not directly associated with subjects’ perceptions, educating patients about the medical education system may increase comfort level when they are with medical trainees.