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Use of a digital texting platform to foster collaborative learning in Trainees and Early Career Neonatologists

Journal of Perinatology volume 42, pages 1535–1537 (2022)Cite this article

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Trainees and Early Career Neonatologists (TECaN) is a subgroup within the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine whose membership consists of neonatology fellows and early career neonatologists. In 2019, TECaN members voiced a need for increased educational support to aid in American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (NPM) certifying subspecialty exam preparation. This exam is offered every 2 years, costs nearly $3000 as of 2020, and generally involves hundreds of hours of study. TECaN members also expressed a desire for improved collaboration between fellows and junior faculty across institutions. The TECaN education committee aimed to meet these needs through a peer-driven NPM Board preparation-focused WhatsApp® group.

Starting in July 2019, TECaN members were invited to join the WhatsApp® group via an emailed link or a quick response code that was displayed during regional and national conference presentations. The NPM Board Review group utilized daily learner-led quizzes and preset weekly schedule based on ABP content specifications. The WhatsApp® group also supported unstructured conversations, allowing members to engage around clinical topics. In February 2020, a survey was sent out via the WhatsApp® group, asking for feedback about how the group was meeting the needs of the TECaN community.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Sharla Rent

  2. Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns, Division of Neonatal Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA

    Jenny Koo

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, USA

    Anisha Bhatia

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake, UT, USA

    Sarah Bernstein

  5. Division of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Orange, CA, USA

    AnnaMarie Arias-Shah

  6. Division of Neonatology-Pulmonary Biology, The Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Shanmukha Mukthapuram

Authors
  1. Sharla Rent
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  2. Jenny Koo
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  3. Anisha Bhatia
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  4. Sarah Bernstein
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  5. AnnaMarie Arias-Shah
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  6. Shanmukha Mukthapuram
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Contributions

Educational program developed and led by SR and SM. Analysis of program carried out by SR, JK, AB, SB, AA, and SM. JK created all figures. All authors contributed to the written manuscript. All authors read and approved the final submission.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sharla Rent.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Rent, S., Koo, J., Bhatia, A. et al. Use of a digital texting platform to foster collaborative learning in Trainees and Early Career Neonatologists. J Perinatol 42, 1535–1537 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-022-01418-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-022-01418-1

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