Improving Awareness of Oman Medical Specialty Board Training Bylaws Among First-Year Pediatric Residents Using a Flipped Classroom Intervention: A Quality Improvement Project

Abstract

Background: Awareness of institutional training regulations is essential for safe and compliant residency practice. Among first-year residents in the Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) pediatric residency program, limited familiarity with OMSB bylaws was demonstrated. Local problem: Despite the availability of OMSB bylaws through institutional platforms, first-year pediatric residents demonstrated limited awareness and understanding of key training regulations, which may affect their ability to navigate residency requirements and access available support systems. Methods: A quality improvement (QI) project was conducted among first-year pediatric residents. A flipped classroom intervention was implemented using pre-session learning materials followed by an interactive group discussion. Awareness of OMSB bylaws was assessed using a pre- and post-intervention questionnaire. Outcome measures included change in knowledge scores. Results: Among the 31 eligible residents, all participants completed both the pre- and post-intervention assessments, yielding a 100% response rate. The mean knowledge score increased from 58.2% at baseline to 80.7% following the intervention, corresponding to an absolute improvement of 22.5 percentage points and a relative increase of 38.7%. Awareness scores were higher after the intervention in eight of the nine policy domains. Conclusions: Knowledge scores improved following implementation of a flipped classroom intervention addressing OMSB bylaws among first-year pediatric residents. The intervention was delivered within existing teaching time with complete participation, indicating that the approach is feasible for residency onboarding programs.