MedEdPORTAL (Jul 2009)
Academic Pediatric Association Educational Guidelines for Pediatric Residency (Out of Print)
Abstract
Abstract Introduction This resource is a web tool comprised of 334 goals and objectives that define the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of a competent resident at the end of training. It was created by the Academic Pediatric Association to help pediatric residency programs develop a customized curricula that meet new requirements. Also included are lists of competencies and elements in the six broad Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competency domains. Methods Users must create a username and password to log on. Those who return to the site to continue work on their previously created files must login with the same username and password, but otherwise access is not restricted in any way. Detailed user instructions are built into all sections of the website. In addition, six faculty development tutorials on competency-based education are available on the website for more general instruction and guidance to users. Online functions offer tutorials describing steps of competency-based curriculum development, lists of goals/objectives for residency rotations and other learning experiences, lists of procedures and competencies, resident evaluation forms, and tools for rotation and program planning. All of these tools can be downloaded for further adaptation. In addition, the site offers online help, resource lists, and additional search functions. Results We evaluated the use of and satisfaction with this resource using online data collection and a survey. So far, 1,747 individuals registered on the website and 8,754 files were downloaded. The 1,239 registrants who downloaded files represented 97% of ACGME-approved pediatric residency programs in 2008. Curriculum building tools were downloaded by 97% of programs. A survey was also completed by 111 active site users. Most said the tools were easy to use and adaptable, and helpful in integrating competencies into their programs. Over 70% reported that the program planning templates were useful. The tutorials were rated highly for educational content and clarity. Discussion In summary, nearly every US pediatric residency programs has accessed these educational guidelines resources for curriculum development, and patterns of utilization have been sustained over time. We believe that working through a large national organization to develop disciplinary tools for national use helps to gain wide acceptance for the product. Curricular resources for academic medicine are inevitably complex in content, so methods and formats should be kept as simple and brief as possible. While development of the content of an online curriculum resources benefits from many parties, construction of the website and online functions demands concentrated effort by a small, highly-dedicated group with a diverse set of talents.
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