MedEdPORTAL (Sep 2014)
Faculty Development on Systems-Based Practice
Abstract
Abstract Introduction Milestones-based assessments of the six learning competencies have recently been implemented in graduate medicate education (GME). Since these are one of the primary means of measuring residents' progress and since faculty are relied on to accurately assess trainees, faculty development in this area is important. Faculty development is also considered a key common program requirement. Nonetheless, most faculty are unable to, or simply do not, participate in faculty development. The goal of this educational activity was to develop an online module specifically for the members of a pediatric department that would be easily accessible, allow faculty to view on their own time, be department specific, and provide examples to help faculty relate a specific competency to the relevant milestones. Methods The competency we focused on in this resource was Systems-Based Practice. This module has been formatted in Prezi, a cloud-based software, enabling faculty to participate in learning at their own convenience. Videos have also been embedded in the presentation to optimize the learning experience and provide live examples and explanation of the text. The activity was approved by the University of Florida for 1.0 continuing medical education (CME) credit. The Prezi is accompanied by an instructor's guide, as well as by pre- and postsurveys that were used by our faculty and may be modified as needed by instructors adapting the presentation for their own institutions. The postsurvey is necessary for CME. Results At our program, the Prezi was sent to 35 core program faculty responsible for evaluating residents. Several faculty members viewed the Prezi, but only nine filled out the surveys. Of those nine, all felt that the activity was useful and provided much-needed information on learner assessment, particularly in this specific competency, which often gets confused with individual problem-based learning and improvement. They felt it was an effective way to provide information on GME. Faculty also suggested case-based reviews of other competencies presented in a similar manner. Discussion This module was developed with the intent of allowing faculty to participate in education-related CME at their own convenience. Faculty development is an ongoing challenge. Developing modules like this one may circumvent some of the obstacles, such as limited time during normal work hours, that prevent faculty from dedicating themselves to development activities.
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