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Medical Educators (medical + educator)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Medicine as a performing art: a worthy metaphor

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 10 2003
James O Woolliscroft
Purpose ,Despite numerous calls for reform over several decades, medical educators have been unable to address many significant challenges. Potentially, employing new metaphors and looking at the teaching and learning of medicine in a new way will facilitate the development of creative solutions. Main findings ,In this paper we propose the metaphor of medicine as a performing art. Building on this metaphor, string music education is compared to medical education. Principal conclusions ,Looking to string education as a model, suggestions for reorganisation of learning experiences, academic structure and assessment are discussed. Medical educators are encouraged to think about the challenges they face in creative ways. By looking outside traditional medical education, solutions may be found to new and old educational dilemmas. [source]

Medical student attitudes toward the doctor,patient relationship

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 6 2002
Paul Haidet
Context, Medical educators have emphasized the importance of teaching patient-centred care. Objectives, To describe and quantify the attitudes of medical students towards patient-centred care and to examine: (a) the differences in these attitudes between students in early and later years of medical school; and (b) factors associated with patient-centred attitudes. Methods, We surveyed 673 students in the first, third, and fourth years of medical school. Our survey utilized the Patient,Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), a validated instrument designed to measure individual preferences towards various aspects of the doctor,patient relationship. Total PPOS scores can range from patient-centred (egalitarian, whole person oriented) to disease- or doctor-centred (paternalistic, less attuned to psychosocial issues). Additional demographic data including gender, age, ethnicity, undergraduate coursework, family medical background and specialty choice were collected from the fourth year class. Results, A total of 510 students (76%) completed data collection. Female gender (P < 0·001) and earlier year of medical school (P = 0·03) were significantly associated with patient-centred attitudes. Among fourth year students (n = 89), characteristics associated with more patient-centred attitudes included female gender, European-American ethnicity, and primary-care career choice (P < 0·05 for each comparison). Conclusion, Despite emphasis on the need for curricula that foster patient-centred attitudes among medical students, our data suggest that students in later years of medical school have attitudes that are more doctor-centred or paternalistic compared to students in earlier years. Given the emphasis placed on patient satisfaction and patient-centred care in the current medical environment, our results warrant further research and dialogue to explore the dynamics in medical education that may foster or inhibit student attitudes toward patient-centred care. [source]

Evaluation: Using evaluation research to improve medical education

THE CLINICAL TEACHER, Issue 3 2010
Mohsen Tavakol
Summary Background:, Evaluation research is a form of applied research that scrutinises how well a particular programme, practice, procedure or policy is operating. Evaluation researchers use both quantitative and qualitative research data to construct a collective picture of the programme under evaluation. Context:, Medical educators need to provide information about a particular programme using the methods of evaluation research in order to make a decision on the potential adoption, improvements and refinements of the programme. Improving curricula and pedagogical methods using these methods may enhance health care education. Innovation:, We provide an overview of the methods of evaluation research in the context of medical education. We discuss the application, general methodology, methods of collecting data and analysis for each type of evaluation research. Implications:, The methods of evaluation research described in this article enable medical educators to gain a comprehensive understanding of evaluation research in the context of medical education. The use of evaluation research findings helps medical educators to make informed decisions regarding a programme and any future actions related to it. [source]

The MERC at CORD Scholars Program in Medical Education Research: A Novel Faculty Development Opportunity for Emergency Physicians

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2009
Jeffrey N. Love MD
Abstract Medical educators are increasingly charged with the development of outcomes-based "best practices" in medical student and resident education and patient care. To fulfill this mission, a cadre of well-trained, experienced medical education researchers is required. The experienced medical educator is in a prime position to fill this need but often lacks the training needed to successfully contribute to such a goal. Towards this end, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Educational Affairs developed a series of content-based workshops that have resulted in Medical Education Research Certification (MERC), promoting skills development and a better understanding of research by educators. Subsequently, the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) partnered with the AAMC to take MERC a step further, in the MERC at CORD Scholars Program (MCSP). This venture integrates a novel, mentored, specialty-specific research project with the traditional MERC workshops. Collaborative groups, based on a common area of interest, each develop a multi-institutional project by exploring and applying the concepts learned through the MERC workshops. Participants in the inaugural MCSP have completed three MERC workshops and initiated a project. Upon program completion, each will have completed MERC certification (six workshops) and gained experience as a contributing author on a mentored education research project. Not only does this program serve as a multi-dimensional faculty development opportunity, it is also intended to act as a catalyst in developing a network of education scholars and infrastructure for educational research within the specialty of emergency medicine. [source]

Teamwork Training for Interdisciplinary Applications

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2009
Bev Foster
Safe healthcare delivery in the emergency department is a team sport. Medical educators seek efficient and effective methods to teach and practice teamwork skills to all levels of interdisciplinary learners with the goal of enhancing communication, insuring smooth clinical operations, and improving patient safety. We present a new interdisciplinary, health professions teamwork curriculum, modified from TeamSTEPPS, that is efficient, effective, and can be delivered using multiple teaching modalities. This flexible curriculum structure begins with a brief didactic core designed to orient the learners to team concepts and invest them in the rationale for focusing on teamwork skills. This is followed by one of four additional instructional modalities: traditional didactic, interactive audience response didactic, low-fidelity simulation (role play), and high-fidelity patient simulation. Each of these additional modalities can be utilized singly or in combination to enhance the learners' attitudes, knowledge, and skills in team-based behaviors. Interdisciplinary cases have been defined, piloted, modified, and deployed at two major universities across more than 400 learners. Interdisciplinary simulation scenarios range from team-based role play to high-fidelity human patient simulation. Assessment cases using standardized patients are designed for interdisciplinary applications and focus on observable team-based behaviors rather than clinical knowledge. All of these cases have accompanying assessment instruments for attitudes, knowledge, and skills. These instruments may be used for formative assessment to provide feedback to the learners and standardize the faculty's information delivery. If used in a summative manner they provide data for course completion criteria, remediation, or competency assessment. [source]

Curriculum reform: a narrated journey

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 10 2009
Geraldine MacCarrick
Objectives, Curriculum reform poses significant challenges for medical schools across the globe. Understanding the medical educator's personal and lived experience of curriculum change is paramount. This paper illustrates the use of narrative inquiry as a means of exploring the author's own evolving professional identity as a medical educator engaged in planning and leading curriculum reform and in understanding the meanings she and other medical educators attribute to their roles as agents of change in a medical school. Context, In 2002 it was decided to radically reform a school of medicine's (SoM) traditional 6-year medical degree course (converting it to a 5-year, integrated, case-based programme). This followed a decade of adverse external reports by the national accreditation agency. The 2001 accreditation report was the most significant catalyst for change, and drew attention to the School's need for a ,collective will' to introduce a series of specific curriculum reforms. To support this reform, a new curriculum working group (NCWG) supported by a dedicated medical education unit (MEU) was established. In late 2002 the author joined the School as the director of that unit. Methods, This paper draws on a 3-year study which captured the stories of the curriculum planning project between 2002 and 2005, as well as stories of curriculum reform from past deans of the same medical school dating back to 1965. Narrative inquiry is used as a means of probing the author's own lived experience as coordinator of the new curriculum project and the experiences of key members of the NCWG, including the dean, and of former deans from the same medical school over its 40-year history. Conclusions, Through a living, telling and retelling of the story of curriculum change, narrative inquiry has a role to play in both elucidating the individual lived experience of curriculum change and shaping the evolving professional identity of the medical educator as an agent of change. [source]

Prescription-related illness , a scandalous pandemic

JOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 4 2004
Hugh McGavock BSc MD FRCGP
Abstract Prescribed drugs are now a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in the elderly. The extent of this pandemic is described and its likely causes in primary care are identified: unnecessary prescribing, imprecise diagnosis, inadequate undergraduate and postgraduate education in pharmacology and therapeutics, the uncritical application of evidence-based medicine, the outstanding development of new drugs and their sometimes unjustified promotion. Urgent action is recommended under seven headings, by health administration, epidemiologists, medical educators and prescribing doctors. [source]

Productivity vs. production capacity: Hospitalists as medical educators,

JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL MEDICINE, Issue 8 2009
Jeff Wiese MD
[source]

Core competencies in hospital medicine: Development and methodology

JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL MEDICINE, Issue S1 2006
Daniel D. Dressler MD
Abstract BACKGROUND The hospitalist model of inpatient care has been rapidly expanding over the last decade, with significant growth related to the quality and efficiency of care provision. This growth and development have stimulated a need to better define and characterize the field of hospital medicine. Training and developing curricula specific to hospital medicine are the next step in the evolution of the field. METHODS The Core Competencies in Hospital Medicine: A Framework for Curriculum Development (the Core Competencies), by the Society of Hospital Medicine, introduces the expectations of hospitalists and provides an initial structural framework to guide medical educators in developing curricula that incorporate these competencies into the training and evaluation of students, clinicians-in-training, and practicing hospitalists. This article outlines the process that was undertaken to develop the Core Competencies, which included formation of a task force and editorial board, development of a topic list, the solicitation for and writing of chapters, and the execution of multiple reviews by the editorial board and both internal and external reviewers. RESULTS This process culminated in the Core Competencies document, which is divided into three sections: Clinical Conditions, Procedures, and Healthcare Systems. The chapters in each section delineate the core knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for effective inpatient practice while also incorporating a systems organization and improvement approach to care coordination and optimization. CONCLUSIONS These competencies should be a common reference and foundation for the creation of hospital medicine curricula and serve to standardize and improve inpatient training practices. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2006;1:48,56. © 2006 Society of Hospital Medicine. [source]

Curriculum reform: a narrated journey

Long-term follow-up of a 10-month programme in curriculum development for medical educators: a cohort study

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 7 2008
Aysegul Gozu
Context, There is an ongoing need for curriculum development (CD) in medical education. However, only a minority of medical teaching institutions provide faculty development in CD. This study evaluates the long-term impact of a longitudinal programme in curriculum development. Methods, We surveyed eight cohorts of participants (n = 64) and non-participants (n = 64) from 1988 to 1996 at baseline and at 6,13 years after completion of a 10-month, one half-day per week programme offered annually, which included a mentored CD project, workshops on CD steps, a final paper and a presentation. Results, Fifty-eight participants (91%) and 50 non-participants (78%) returned completed follow-up surveys. In analyses, controlling for background characteristics and baseline self-rated proficiencies, participants were more likely than non-participants at follow-up to report having developed and implemented curricula in the past 5 years (65.5% versus 43.7%; odds ratio [OR] 2.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03,5.66), to report having performed needs assessment when planning a curriculum (86.1% versus 58.8%; OR 5.59, 95% CI 1.20,25.92), and to rate themselves highly in developing (OR 3.57, 95% CI 1.36,9.39), implementing (OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.16,7.93) and evaluating (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.10,6.84) curricula. At follow-up, 86.2% of participants reported that the CD programme had made a moderate or great impact on their professional careers. Responses to an open-ended question on the impact confirmed continued involvement in CD work, confidence in CD skills, application of CD skills and knowledge beyond CD, improved time management, and lasting relationships formed because of the programme. Conclusions, Our results suggest that a longitudinal faculty development programme that engages and supports faculty in real CD work can have long-lasting impact. [source]

Content specificity: is it the full story?

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 6 2008
Statistical modelling of a clinical skills examination
Objective, This study sought to determine the relative contributions made by transferable skills and content-specific skills to Year 2 medical student performance in a clinical skills examination. Methods, Correlated trait-correlated method models were constructed to describe the performance of 2 year groups of students in examinations held in the summers of 2004 and 2005 at Peninsula Medical School in the UK. The transferable skills components of the models were then removed to indicate the contribution made to the fit of the models to the data. Results, Although content-specific skills made the greater contribution to the 2 models of student performance (accounting for averages of 54% and 43% of the variance, respectively), transferable skills did make an important but smaller contribution (averages of 13% and 16%, respectively). When the transferable skills components of the models were removed, the fit was not as good. Conclusions, Both content-specific skills and transferable skills contributed to performance in the clinical skills examination. This challenges current thinking and has important implications, not just for those involved in clinical skills examinations, but for all medical educators. [source]

Relevant behavioural and social science for medical undergraduates: a comparison of specialist and non-specialist educators

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 10 2006
Sarah Peters
Aim, To compare what medical educators who are specialists in the behavioural and social sciences and their non-specialist counterparts consider to be core concepts that medical graduates should understand. Background, Previously perceived as ,nice to know' rather than ,need to know', the General Medical Council (GMC) now places behavioural and social sciences on the same need-to-know basis as clinical and basic sciences. Attempts have been made to identify what components of these topics medical students need to know; however, it remains unknown if decisions over programme content differ depending on whether or not educationalists have specialist knowledge of the behavioural and social sciences. Methods, In a survey of medical educationalists within all UK medical schools, respondents were asked to indicate from a comprehensive list of psychological, sociological and anthropological concepts what they considered a minimally competent graduate should understand. Comparisons were made between the concepts identified by specialist behavioural and social science (BSS) educators and those without such training. Results, Despite different disciplinary backgrounds, non-specialist educators largely concurred with BSS specialist educators in the concepts they considered tomorrow's doctors should know about. However, among BSS specialists there remained disagreement on what BSS content was relevant for graduates. Differences reflect specialist knowledge and recognition of the role of theoretical underpinning of BSS and reveal gaps in non-specialists knowledge. Conclusions, Educationalists with formal training in the full range of behavioural and social sciences should be involved in the development of BSS curriculum content at both national and school levels. [source]

Training the clinical eye and mind: using the arts to develop medical students' observational and pattern recognition skills

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 3 2006
Johanna Shapiro
Introduction, Observation, including identification of key pieces of data, pattern recognition, and interpretation of significance and meaning, is a key element in medical decision making. Clinical observation is taught primarily through preceptor modelling during the all-important clinical years. No single method exists for communicating these skills, and medical educators have periodically experimented with using arts-based training to hone observational acuity. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the similarities and differences between arts-based and clinical teaching approaches to convey observation and pattern recognition skills. Method, A total of 38 Year 3 students participated in either small group training with clinical photographs and paper cases (group 1), or small group training using art plus dance (group 2), both consisting of 3 2-hour sessions over a 6-month period. Findings, Students in both conditions found value in the training they received and, by both self- and instructor-report, appeared to hone observation skills and improve pattern recognition. The clinically based condition appeared to have been particularly successful in conveying pattern recognition concepts to students, probably because patterns presented in this condition had specific correspondence with actual clinical situations, whereas patterns in art could not be generalised so easily to patients. In the arts-based conditions, students also developed skills in emotional recognition, cultivation of empathy, identification of story and narrative, and awareness of multiple perspectives. Conclusion, The interventions studied were naturally complementary and, taken together, can bring greater texture to the process of teaching clinical medicine by helping us see a more complete ,picture' of the patient. [source]

Educating doctors in France and Canada: are the differences based on evidence or history?

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 12 2005
Christophe Segouin
Background, Despite many economic and political similarities between France and Canada, particularly in their health care systems, there are very significant differences in their systems of medical education. Aim, This work aims to highlight the sociohistorical values of each country that explain these differences by comparing the medical education systems of the 2 countries, including medical schools (teachers, funding), key processes (curriculum, student selection) and quality assurance methods. Discussion, In France, means and processes are standardised and defined at a national level. France has almost no national system of assessment of medical schools nor of students. By contrast, Canada leaves medical schools free to design their medical curricula, select students and appoint teachers using their own criteria. In order to guarantee the homogeneity and quality of graduates, the medical profession in Canada has created independent national organisations that are responsible for accreditation and certification processes. Each country has a set of founding values that partly explain the choices that have been made. In France these include equality and the right to receive free education. In Canada, these include equity, affirmative action and market-driven tuition. Conclusion, Many of the differences are more easily explained by history and national values than by a robust base of evidence. There is a constant tension between a vision of education promoted by medical educators, based on contextually non-specific ideas such as those found in the medical education literature, and the sociopolitical foundations and forces that are unique to each country. If we fail to consider such variables, we are likely to encounter significant resistance when implementing reforms. [source]

Medicine as a performing art: a worthy metaphor

Diagnostic reasoning strategies and diagnostic success

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 8 2003
S Coderre
Purpose Cognitive psychology research supports the notion that experts use mental frameworks or ,schemes', both to organize knowledge in memory and to solve clinical problems. The central purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between problem-solving strategies and the likelihood of diagnostic success. Methods Think-aloud protocols were collected to determine the diagnostic reasoning used by experts and non-experts when attempting to diagnose clinical presentations in gastroenterology. Results Using logistic regression analysis, the study found that there is a relationship between diagnostic reasoning strategy and the likelihood of diagnostic success. Compared to hypothetico-deductive reasoning, the odds of diagnostic success were significantly greater when subjects used the diagnostic strategies of pattern recognition and scheme-inductive reasoning. Two other factors emerged as independent determinants of diagnostic success: expertise and clinical presentation. Not surprisingly, experts outperformed novices, while the content area of the clinical cases in each of the four clinical presentations demonstrated varying degrees of difficulty and thus diagnostic success. Conclusions These findings have significant implications for medical educators. It supports the introduction of ,schemes' as a means of enhancing memory organization and improving diagnostic success. [source]

Early clinical exposure to people who are dying: learning to care at the end of life

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 1 2003
R D MacLeod
Background, The nature of medical care at the end of life and, in particular, the way in which caring is learned remain problematic for medical educators and the profession. Recent work has indicated that doctors learn to care, in an emotional and intimate way, from people who are dying. Methods, This paper reports on the development of a programme designed for medical students in their first clinical year who spend time with a person who is dying and their family. The students are required to produce a portfolio assignment that includes a personal reflection of the experience. The findings from a phenomenological study undertaken using these personal reflections are reported. These reflections and comments are interpreted as being embedded in five key themes. Results, The actual encounters differed from the medical students' anticipation of them. Students identified an emotional component to the experience; they explored their own and the patient's understandings of spirituality; they reflected on personal meanings of the encounter and they suggested ways in which they might learn to care more effectively for people who are dying. Discussion, The way in which many of these students approach end-of-life care has been altered through a transformative educational experience that encouraged them to draw on their own experiences and skills. Their learning was facilitated by the writing of accounts and the discussion that each group held with teaching staff at the conclusion of the programme. [source]

A cognitive aid for neonatal resuscitation: a randomized controlled trial

PEDIATRIC ANESTHESIA, Issue 7 2009
M.D. Bould
Introduction:, Anaesthetists are among several health care practitioners responsible for neonatal resuscitation in Canada. The Neonatal resuscitation program (NRP) courses are the North American educational standard. NRP has been shown to be an effective way of learning skills and knowledge but retention has been found to be problematic [1]. The use of cognitive aids is mandatory in industries such as aviation, to avoid dependence on memory when decision making in critical situations. Visual cognitive aids have been studied retrospectively in resuscitation and performance was found to correlate to the frequency of use of the aid [2]. Cognitive aids have been found to be of benefit in an unblinded prospective study [3]. We aimed to conduct the first blinded study on the effect of a cognitive aid on the performance of simulated resuscitation. Methods:, We conducted a single-blind randomized controlled trial to investigate whether the presence of a cognitive aid improved performance in a simulated neonatal resuscitation. After ethics board approval we recruited 32 anaesthesia residents who had previously passed the NRP. Subjects were randomized to an intervention group that had a poster detailing the NRP algorithm and a control group without the poster. The cognitive aid was positioned so that it could not be seen on the video recordings of the simulation that was used to assess performance. The scenario was piloted to confirm adequate blinding. Both groups had their performance in a simulated neonatal resuscitation recorded and subsequently analyzed by a peer, an expert anaesthetist and an expert neonatologist, using a previously validated checklist. A further rater observed the scenario in real time to examine frequency of use of the cognitive aid. Results:, The inter-rater reliability of the checklist was excellent with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.88. Consequently the mean of the scores assigned by all three raters was used for analysis. The median checklist score in the control group 18.2 [15.0,20.5 (10.7,25.3)] was not significantly different from that in the intervention group 20.3 [18.3,21.3 (15.0,24.3)] (P = 0.08). Retention of NRP skills and knowledge of was poor: when evaluated by the neonatologist none of the subjects correctly performed all life-saving interventions necessary to pass the checklist. Although only one subject in the intervention group did not use the aid at all, only 26.7% used the aid frequently and none used it extensively. Discussion:, Retention of skills after NRP training was poor. Our study confirms previous findings of poor retention of skills after NRP training: Kaczorowski et al. investigated family medicine trainees and found that none of 44 residents that were retested 6,8 months after an NRP course would have passed the course due to errors in life-saving interventions [1]. Previous research has shown that the presence of a cognitive aid can improve performance in the simulated management of a rare, high stakes scenario: malignant hyperthermia [3]. Our negative findings contrast with this and another previous study [2]. A potential reason for this discrepancy is that the raters in the previous studies were not blinded to group allocation, nor were the rating scales used validated. The infrequent use of the cognitive aid may be the reason that it did not improve performance in. Further research is required to investigate whether cognitive aids can be useful if their use is incorporated into NRP training. Conclusion:, A randomized single-blinded trial found that a cognitive aid did not improve performance at simulated resuscitation, in contrast to previous retrospective and unblended studies. Retention of skills and knowledge after resuscitation training remains an ongoing challenge for medical educators. [source]

Evaluation: Using evaluation research to improve medical education

A new volume offers guidance on assessment for medical educators

THE JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, Issue 3 2009
Betsy White Williams PhD, MPH Assistant ProfessorArticle first published online: 2 SEP 200
No abstract is available for this article. [source]

Barriers to innovation in continuing medical education

THE JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, Issue 3 2008
Elizabeth A. Bower MD
Abstract Introduction: Criteria for maintenance of certification (MOC) emphasize the importance of competencies such as communication, professionalism, systems-based care, and practice performance in addition to medical knowledge. Success of this new competency paradigm is dependent on physicians' willingness to engage in activities that focus on less traditional competencies. We undertook this analysis to determine whether physicians' preferences for CME are barriers to participation in innovative programs. Methods: A geographically stratified, random sample of 755 licensed, practicing physicians in the state of Oregon were surveyed regarding their preferences for type of CME offering and instructional method and plans to recertify. Results: Three hundred seventy-six of 755 surveys were returned for ±5% margin of error at 95% confidence level; 91% of respondents were board certified. Traditional types of CME offerings and instructional methods were preferred by the majority of physicians. Academic physicians were less likely than clinical physicians to prefer nontraditional types of CME offerings and instructional methods. Multiple regression analyses did not reveal any significant differences based on demography, practice location, or physician practice type. Discussion: Physicians who participate in CME select educational opportunities that appeal to them. There is little attraction to competency-based educational activities despite their requirement for MOC. The apparent disparity between the instructional methods a learner prefers and those that are the most effective in changing physician behavior may represent a barrier to participating in more innovative CME offerings and instructional methods. These findings are important for medical educators and CME program planners developing programs that integrate studied and effective educational methods into CME programs that are attractive to physicians. [source]

Addressing disparities in diagnosing and treating depression: A promising role for continuing medical education

THE JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, Issue S1 2007
Karen M. Overstreet EdD
Abstract Depression is a very common reason that individuals seek treatment in the primary care setting. However, advances in depression management are often not integrated into care for ethnic and racial minorities. This supplement summarizes evidence in six key areas,current practices in diagnosis and treatment, disparities, treatment in managed care settings, quality improvement, physician learning, and community-based participatory research,used to develop an intervention concept described in the concluding article. Evidence of gaps in the care for minorities, while discouraging, presents unique opportunities for medical educators to develop interventions with the potential to change physician behavior and thereby reduce disparities and enhance patient outcomes. [source]

Survey of surgical skills of RANZCOG trainees

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
Andreas OBERMAIR
Background: In Australia, the Integrated Training Program (ITP) of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) offers training in obstetrics and gynaecology. There is anecdotal concern among trainees and Fellows that the surgical component of training is inadequate, with new specialists lacking the confidence and competence to perform many ,standard' surgical procedures. These concerns have not previously been quantified in Australia and New Zealand. Aim: To determine trainees' subjective competence and confidence with surgical procedures and trainees' satisfaction with their surgical training. Methods: All 430 active RANZCOG trainees and 108 Fellows elevated within the previous two years were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire (65% response rate), which assessed details of procedures performed and confidence to perform them; satisfaction with the surgical training; and perceived teaching ability of the supervising consultants. Results: Those in ITP year 6 rated their confidence high (, 4 of 5) for procedures performed very frequently, but lower for other procedures. No procedure regarding the management of complications reached a confidence score of , 4. Teaching abilities were rated best for obstetric procedures, with 54% rating their consultants' teaching ability as ,excellent'; but for laparoscopic procedures and procedures dealing with complications, 21.2% and 23.4% of respondents rated their consultants' teaching ability as ,poor', respectively. Conclusions: Advanced trainees lacked confidence in a range of surgical procedures; and possible weaker areas were identified in the teaching experience of trainers. These limitations must be addressed by medical educators and training program coordinators. [source]

Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine: Statement of Purpose

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 9 2008
David A. Wald DO
The Academy of Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM) provides a forum for the collaborative exchange of ideas among emergency medicine (EM) medical student educators, a platform for the advancement of education, research, and faculty development, and establishes for the first time a national voice for undergraduate medical education within our specialty. CDEM plans to take a leading role in providing medical student educators with additional educational resources and opportunities for faculty development and networking. CDEM will work to foster the professional growth and development of undergraduate medical educators within our specialty. The advancement of undergraduate education within our specialty and beyond will come primarily from the support, hard work, and dedication of the educators. To accomplish our goals, at the departmental, medical school, and national level, we must come together to further promote our specialty across the spectrum of undergraduate medical education. The first step has already been taken with the formation of the Academy of CDEM. [source]