The 7E Teaching Model in Emergency Obstetrics and Gynecology Training: Enhancing Clinical Competency in Residency Education

TL;DR

An 8-week training program using the 7E teaching model improved emergency OBGYN skills and satisfaction among first-year residents compared to traditional training.

Contribution

Demonstrates the effectiveness of the 7E teaching model in enhancing emergency OBGYN competencies in residency education.

Findings

Residents in the 7E cohort reported significantly higher satisfaction compared to the control group.

The 7E group showed better written exam scores, OSCE performance, and faster skill improvement.

Higher compliance with emergency process indicators and fewer severe complications were observed in the 7E group.

Abstract

To evaluate whether an 8‐week curriculum structured by the 7E teaching model is associated with improved emergency obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) competencies among first‐year residents.

We conducted a prospective, single‐center, quasiexperimental consecutive‐cohort study at the Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University (September 2022–September 2024). Consecutive training‐year cohorts were compared: the 2022 cohort received traditional training (control, n = 32), and the 2023 cohort received the 7E‐based program (intervention, n = 31; elicit–engage–explore–explain–elaborate–evaluate–extend). Outcomes were mapped to Kirkpatrick’s four‐level model (reaction, learning, behavior, and results) and included satisfaction, written examination scores, OSCE performance, Mini‐CEX trajectories, and selected patient safety/process indicators.

Compared with the control group, residents in the 7E cohort reported higher satisfaction (35.10 ± 1.30 vs. 23.22 ± 1.84, p < 0.001; Cronbach’s α = 0.905), achieved higher written examination scores (71.23 ± 4.25 vs. 63.88 ± 5.71, p < 0.001), and demonstrated a higher OSCE excellence rate (80.65% vs. 15.63%, p < 0.001). Compliance with prespecified “golden‐hour” emergency process indicators was higher in the 7E cohort (87.09% vs. 59.38%, p = 0.025). Mini‐CEX trajectories showed a significant group × time interaction (β = −1.48 per week, 95% CI −1.75 to −1.21, p < 0.001), indicating faster skill improvement in the 7E cohort. Adherence to “golden‐hour” emergency process indicators was higher (87.09% vs. 59.38%, p = 0.025). Severe complications occurred in 1/31 (3.23%) versus 6/32 (18.75%), corresponding to a risk ratio = 0.17 (score‐based 95% CI 0.03–1.01; Fisher’s exact p = 0.104).

The 7E‐structured curriculum was associated with improved satisfaction and performance across multiple competency domains. The 7E model shows promise as a structured paradigm for competency‐based emergency OBGYN education, although causal inferences are limited by the nonrandomized design and single‐institution context.

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