Importance of the reflective logbook in improving the residents’ perception of reflective learning in the dermatology residency program in Saudi Arabia: findings from a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Reflection is an essential feature of the learning process in all medical education and training fields. While writing the logbooks has been considered to improve learners’ reflection in several disciplines, it is unknown whether writing reflective logbooks improves the learning perception of dermatology residents. Therefore, this study was carried out to assess the role of the reflective logbook in improving the residents’ perception of reflective learning in the dermatology residency program. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 32 dermatology residents from year two (R2) to year four (R4) enrolled in different hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A baseline electronic survey was emailed to all residents before and after implementing the reflective logbook for six months. The survey included 28 close-ended questions assessing their point of view on a Likert scale, and responses varied from agreeing to disagreeing strongly. Frequencies and proportions were generated for the categorical variables such as sex and level of residency. The graphs were generated to assess the proportion of residents correctly responding to the knowledge questions. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. RESULTS: Almost 80% of dermatology residents considered reflection as an important element of their learning, and 47% of the residents agreed that a reflective log book increases understanding in medical education. About 44% of the residents agreed that the reflective logbook assisted in their learning, and about 19% strongly agreed on the same. However, only 37.5% agreed that logbooks helped them acquire theoretical knowledge, and 9.4% and 18.8% agreed that they helped them acquire practical and research skills, respectively. Almost 68% of the residents had support in writing the logbook, and 34.4% agreed that logbooks helped them address their patient’s needs and enhance their diagnostic skills. CONCLUSION: The study findings revealed that dermatology residents perceived reflection and writing a reflective logbook as important and potentially beneficial. However, knowing the importance of reflection and what reflection means was not optimal. Not all dermatology residents were aware of the reflection and reflective logbooks as tools for reflective learning. Thereby warranting regular workshops or fostering continuous medical education on the importance of reflection.