Enhancing Clinical Education with Appreciative Inquiry : A Peer Exit Interview Pilot in the ELHT Foundation Programme

Postgraduate medical trainees in the UK face a myriad of challenges, ranging from inadequate support systems to inconsistent educational practices [1]. Due to rotational training their perspectives are often overlooked, missing valuable opportunities to enhance educational programmes. Recognising good practice is key to improving medical training. The Learning from Excellence (LfE) interview framework, which applies appreciative inquiry methodology, offers a structured approach to highlight positive training experiences [2,3]. This pilot project explores how peer exit interviews, guided by the LfE framework, can help enhance clinical education, through supporting and listening to foundation doctors to generate potential foundation programme improvements. It facilitated also face-to-face evaluates the LfE framework as an interview tool. The pilot, conducted within an NHS trust in Lancashire, invited foundation doctors to voluntary peer exit interviews. The interviews were and captured anonymised reflections on their training experiences. Findings from ten interviews demonstrated strong engagement and insightful contributions. Key themes highlighted the importance of mentorship and structured clinical teaching, alongside persistent concerns about senior support and staffing challenges. These insights will inform targeted improvements to the local foundation programme and contribute to discussions for further research in postgraduate medical education. This pilot highlights the potential of peer exit interviews in fostering a culture of continuous improvement in post-graduate medical training. By focusing on successes and areas for change, this approach supports recommendations on trainee-led feedback and offers a scalable model for enhancing foundation training across the UK. It also highlights the need for further integration of appreciative inquiry to improve clinical education. References: 1. Smith F, Goldacre MJ, Lambert TW. Adequacy of postgraduate medical training: views of different generations of UK-trained doctors. Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2017;93(1105):665-670. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/postgradmedj-2016-13456 2. Sandars J, Murdoch-Eaton D. Appreciative inquiry in medical education. Medical Teacher. 2016;39(2):123-127. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159x.2017.1245852 3. Entrance and Exit interviews - Learning from Excellence. Learning from Excellence. Published February 4, 2018. Accessed January 30, 2025