MedEdPORTAL (Jul 2006)
Expert Preceptor Interactive Curriculum (Out of Print)
Abstract
Abstract Introduction The challenges of community-based medical education include ensuring the quality and consistency of students' learning experiences and developing a sense of academic community among part-time faculty who maintain busy clinical practices. One solution is to institute efficient, flexible faculty development programs for community practitioners serving as part-time faculty. Methods With support from the US Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education, an online system was created to help community preceptors develop (1) knowledge and skills needed for teaching and (2) relationships with other preceptors and to do so remotely, at their own pace, at the time and place of their choosing. Over 4 years, the Expert Preceptor Interactive Curriculum (EPIC) was designed, pilot-tested, implemented, and evaluated. EPIC consists of 10 self-instructional modules, which can be completed online in approximately 2 hours per module. Results Program evaluation focused on the following questions: Does EPIC make faculty development more accessible to preceptors? Does it promote improved development of faculty and better educational experiences for students? Does it accomplish the above while containing or reducing the costs of education? Does it contribute to the formation of a stronger, more viable faculty community as institutions move toward ever-greater reliance on off-campus faculty? Surveys and questionnaires analyzed extent and patterns of use, and students were surveyed regarding preceptors' teaching skills before and after completion of the program. The findings were that (a) many preceptors accessed the program and found it easy to use, (b) the program helped participants improve their knowledge and skills related to teaching, (c) EPIC was less expensive per person than traditional faculty development programs, and (d) the program did not contribute to a stronger sense of academic community. Discussion Although EPIC is an innovative, useful program, it nonetheless has traditional features that make it less useful for some preceptors.
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