Learning environment of the Saudi psychiatry board training program

OBJECTIVES: To assess the learning environment of the Saudi psychiatry board program using the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT) and to explore residents’ perception of different domains of the learning environment. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The D-RECT instrument was distributed to all residents at all training sites of the Saudi psychiatry training program. It is a reliable and valid instrument to measure educational environment at the postgraduate level. Mean scores are presented, t-tests, analysis of variance, and post hoc analysis were used to compare subgroups and pearson’s correlation was used to assess relationships. RESULTS: Seventy-eight out of 96 residents responded (81.25%), one third of them were female. Overall D-RECT score was 2.76±0.55. The supervision subscale scored 2.83±0.83, coaching and assessment scored 2.60±0.73, feedback scored 2.00±0.85, team work scored 2.81±0.86, peer collaboration scored 3.54±0.84, professional relations between consultants scored 2.71±0.95, work is adapted to residents’ competence scored 2.71±0.86, consultants’ attitudes scored 2.71±0.86, formal education scored 2.68±0.72, and patient handover subscales scored 3.25±1.06. Female residents scored significantly higher than their male counterparts and there were no statistical significant difference between years of residency. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.936. CONCLUSION: Most of the learning climate domains scored poorly, which necessitates a rigorous plan for reevaluation and improvement. Furthermore, D-RECT proved to be a reliable instrument and could help in evaluation and improvement of postgraduate training programs.