A framework to teach self-reflection for the remedial resident

BACKGROUND: Regardless of the area of deficiency, be it in knowledge, skills or attitudes, residents requiring remediation are rarely self-identified. This illustrates a diminished ability for self-reflection. Self-reflection is a cornerstone of adult education. During the remediation process, the remediation curriculum needs to emphasize self-reflection. AIMS: How can one structure self-reflection in a remediation curriculum? METHODS: This article describes how to adapt and apply environmental scanning for remedial residents. RESULTS: Environmental scanning is a rigorous and well-developed business approach that can be adapted for personal continuous quality improvement to foster self-reflection in medical trainees. There are often already existing tools which can form the foundation for regular reflection in medical education using an environmental scanning structure. CONCLUSIONS: Environmental scanning can be thought of as a structured approach to internal and external reflections.