Table 3 Qualitative Results: Advantages to developing ILPs

   • Focus. Will actually have goals.

   • Make learning goals explicit, specific, and do-able.

   • Goal-oriented strategy to bring to my practice.

   • Focused expectations for resident and instructor.

   • Individualized goals and milestones to reach a unique and individualized end point.

Learning plan based on improvement through identification of personal strengths and weaknesses

   • It allows you to pinpoint your areas of weakness and strength and in turn create a plan to address your weaknesses.

   • Identifying areas of strength and of goals for improvement in collaboration between residents and faculty.

   • An ILP provides structure and support to the resident to help them improve on their areas of weakness to become better overall physicians.

   • You know your weaknesses and can address these areas.

Individualized learning

   • It can be tailored to my learning style and learning needs.

   • It will be targeting to the individual's style of learning and future career needs.

   • Directed to my interest.

   • Helps already educated physicians tailor their ongoing education.

Accountability

   • Accountability of knowledge.

   • Forces the resident to self-assess and to develop ability and hopefully commit to self-improvement.

   • Forces residents to stay on track in reading.

   • Forced to reflect on strengths and weaknesses, forced to reflect on goals, forced to reflect on strengthening strengths and improving weaknesses.

   • More accountability.

   • Defined times for forced self-assessment.

Self-directed learning

   • Self-directed

   • Communicating the idea that the resident is primarily responsible for his/her own education.

   • Self-directed learning. Places more responsibility for learning on resident.

   • Self-assessment and self-directed goal setting are built into the ILP.