Creativity in Medical Learning: A direction-finding study of junior hospital doctors

Abstract

In a questionnaire study of creativity, the author has assessed the teaching and clinical practice of medical teachers, as observed by their students. The study has taken some preliminary steps to assess the place of creativity in postgraduate medical learning in the United Kingdom. Junior doctors were asked to compare their ‘best’ teacher with their ‘worst’ utilising a semantic differential scale and questions derived from Torrance’s definitions of creativity. The response rate was 81 (56.25%) of 144 junior hospital doctors, in whose view, ‘best’ teachers showed greater creative behaviour as evidenced by significantly higher creativity scores on the majority of parameters (p<0.0001).