Too many cooks in the kitchen: A process improvement workshop to address learner saturation

Introduction: An overabundance of learners can compromise the educational experience of trainees and contribute to preceptor burnout, particularly at regional medical campuses. Our objective is to describe a process improvement to optimize the number of learners in a department that was subsequently developed into an interactive workshop.Methods: Our strategic learner plan consists of three parts. The first involves taking stock of the current number of trainees and their educational needs by conducting a census. The second assembles a group of key stakeholders to determine the importance of each learner type to the department, align educational objectives to the rotation experience, and reach consensus on the optimal number of learners within each clinical environment. The third consists of implementation, including development of a centralized tracking and approval process. Our workshop curriculum included the development of educational handouts for implementation at other institutions.Results: We initiated the process within our department in 2020. The learner census identified over 130 individual trainees in seven categories rotating through the department annually. Ten stakeholders participated in the meeting and organized learner groups into low, moderate, and high strategic importance. Following implementation, we observed improved compliance regarding the impact of other learners on resident education in survey data. A majority of workshop participants reported that a strategic learner plan would benefit their department and reduce preceptor burnout.Conclusion: A strategic learner plan can aid departments in determining the number, type, and location of trainees rotating in their department.