Background: Podcasts and other digital resources are increasingly popular among medical learners and allow the dissemination of research to larger audiences. Little is known about the feasibility of graduate medical education trainees developing podcasts for their own and others' learning.
Objective: We described the development and implementation of a medical education podcast series by residents for obstetrics and gynecology (Ob-Gyn) resident learning, and demonstrated feasibility, sustainability, and acceptance of this series.
Methods: We used the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG) educational guidelines to create a weekly study podcast for Ob-Gyn residents over 10 months. Costs and donations (for feasibility), downloads over time (for sustainability), and number of reviews on Apple iTunes and followers on Twitter (for acceptability) were measured.
Results: Sixty episodes were released from September 30, 2018, to July 28, 2019 (43 weeks). Initial costs included $3,150 startup and $29 monthly. Online donations through Patreon amounted to $200 a month, which covered 58% of startup costs at 10 months and are projected to cover full costs by 1.5 years. The podcast had 173 995 downloads as recorded through Podbean (39 a month in September, increased to 31 206 a month in July). It gained 644 followers on Twitter and 147 ratings on iTunes, with an average of 4.86 out of 5 stars.
Conclusions: Medical podcasts created by Ob-Gyn residents during their training appear feasible and highly acceptable over a sustained period.
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education 2020.