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As any field evolves, so do journals' expectations from authors. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage in Health Professions Education (HPE) has evolved, Medical Teacher's expectations have changed, and previously-accepted paper types are now routinely rejected. This commentary gives some guidance for authors currently submitting AI in HPE papers to Medical Teacher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an arts integrated interdisciplinary study set to investigate ways to improve social accountability (SA) in medical education, our research team has established a renewed understanding of compassion in the current SA movement. This paper explores the co-evolution of compassion and SA. The study used an arts integrated approach to investigate people's perceptions of SA in four medical schools across Australia, Canada, and the USA. Each school engaged approximately 25 participants who partook in workshops and in-depth interviews. We began with a study of SA and the topic of compassion emerged out of our qualitative data and biweekly meetings within the research team. Content analysis of the data and pedagogical discussion brought us to realize the importance of compassion in the practice of SA. The cultivation of compassion needs to play a significant role in a socially accountable medical educational system. Medical schools as educational institutions may operate themselves with compassion as a driving force in engaging partnership with students and communities. Social accountability without compassion is not SA; compassion humanizes institutional policy by engaging sympathy and care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Health professionals often have cumbersome responsibilities, performing their roles in complex environments under stressful circumstances. Resilience has been recognized as an enabler of thriving in such adversity and remains vague in the health profession literature. Aims: This paper aims to provide a synthesis of existing literature reviews of the evidence for resilience in health professionals, thematically integrating factors affecting resilience in health professionals. Methods: Electronic databases were searched systematically using inclusion and exclusion criteria to include literature reviews that explored resilience in health care professionals using purposive sampling of primary research studies. Results: Nine studies were identified. The definition of resilience varied across the studies. Four main themes of factors affecting resilience were found: (1) the influence of individual factors (e.g. individual traits, having a higher purpose, being self-determined), (2) environmental and organizational factors (e.g. workplace culture), (3) approaches that an individual takes when interacting with her/his professional circumstances (e.g. professional shielding and self-reflection), and (4) effective educational interventions (e.g. resilience workshops). Conclusions: Resilience is multidimensional and can be affected by multiple factors. Interventions to improve resilience should consider context and focus on improvement of adaptive abilities of health professionals in adversity. A more uniformed definition and measurement of resilience can further research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Interprofessional continuing education (IPCE) health care educators must plan activities as members of interprofessional teams and deliver activities to an interprofessional audience. Evidence in the literature suggests they are not well prepared to meet this challenge. This paper reviews one strategy to improve the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and practices of IPCE educators. Methods: Seven faculty development workshops were conducted within the USA, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Approximately 250 learners participated in the workshops in total, with 107 in an IRB-approved research study. Results: From the research cohorts demonstrated improved knowledge and skills over a 12-month period. Knowledge and skills scores increased most significantly from baseline to 3 months and remained above baseline at 6-12 months. The workshop was not an effective strategy to improve attitudes towards IPCE, though attitude scores were already high prior to participating. Conclusions: All participants actively engaged in the workshops. There were no observed differences in engagement by geographic region, gender, age, or profession. Participants stated they were better able to understand the roles of other team members; perspectives of patients, families, and caregivers; and their own roles on clinical teams. Participants described gaining a new appreciation for the complexity of designing IPCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines current issues with interprofessional education (IPE) at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) and discusses initiatives for integrating IPE into the medical curricula at KAU. Methods: We reviewed the current body of literature, studied reports from IPE conferences and workshops organized at KAU, and synthesized participants' feedback from the IPE programs, including an online survey. Results: A total of 506 participants responded to the online survey. Respondents rated Interprofessional Collaborative Learning as the highest category of IPE, followed by Interprofessional Self-Improvement and Interprofessional Relationship. A hybrid conceptual framework is proposed, to tackle the issue of role clarification across all healthcare colleges at KAU. This proposition was found to be necessary due to the current state of the undergraduate curriculum which does not prepare students properly for professional collaboration. Conclusions: The hybrid model may narrow the gap in IPE by emphasizing professional identity while reducing autonomy. Recommendations toward IPE are presented. Challenges toward IPE reform are discussed in the context of implementation at KAU and at other medical schools in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intolerance of ambiguity among medical students is associated with negative attitudes towards psychosocially complex patients. In this paper, the authors evaluated the feasibility of a 3.5-hour workshop aimed at fostering tolerance for ambiguity in medical students through semi-structured interactions with horses that functioned as experiential surrogates for ambiguity. Among 26 first-year medical students who participated in the feasibility assessment, an overwhelming majority rated the workshop as academically valuable and recommended that it be offered again in the future. After feasibility was established, an additional group of 7 first-year medical students and 5 fourth-year students completed Budner's Tolerance of Ambiguity scale before and after the workshop to provide preliminary data on its effectiveness. The post-workshop mean scores on the Budner scale were lower than pre-workshop mean scores, suggesting that students developed greater tolerance for ambiguity following the workshop. This difference was statistically significant among the first-year students, but not among the fourth-year students. Our findings demonstrate that the equine-facilitated workshop is feasible and can potentially help medical students develop greater tolerance for ambiguity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on several 2014 medical education opportunities, including MedEdWorld Webinars, an Essential Skills in Medical Education (ESME) Course for teachers and ESME online courses. A quiz on topics related to medical education is presented. Information on several media reports related to education is also presented, including a press release from the European Commission on Massive Open Online Courses, an article in the March 18, 2014 issue of "The Scientist" on the Self-Citation Gap and an article in a 2014 issue of the "British Medical Journal" on Wikipedia citations in science literature.

While online learning for faculty development has grown substantially over recent decades, it has been further accelerated in the face of the worldwide pandemic. The effectiveness of online learning has been repeatedly established through systematic reviews and meta-analyses, yet questions remain about its cost-effectiveness. This study evaluates how synchronous online supervision training workshops and their cost-effectiveness might work, and in what contexts. We conducted preliminary realist economic evaluation including qualitative (13 realist interviews), and quantitative approaches (cost Ingredients method). We developed a cost-optimised model based on identified costs and cost-sensitive mechanisms. We identified 14 recurring patterns (so-called demi-regularities) illustrating multiple online workshop outcomes (e.g. satisfaction, engagement, knowledge), generated by various mechanisms (e.g. online technology, mixed pedagogies involving didactic and active/experiential learning, peer learning), and triggered by two contexts (supervisor experience levels, and workplace location). Each workshop cost $302.92 per learner, but the optimised model including senior facilitators cost $305.70. Our initial realist program theories were largely supported and refined. Although findings were largely concordant with previous literature, we illustrate how online workshop costs compare favourably with face-to-face alternatives. We encourage program developers to consider synchronous online learning for faculty development especially for remote learners, and in resource-constrained environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Training in implicit bias is broadly recognized as important in medical education and is mandated by some accrediting bodies. This study examined medical students' retention of concepts immediately following and one-year post participation in an implicit bias workshop. Study subjects were 272 third-year medical students who participated in workshops held between 2018–2020 that used the Implicit Associations Test (IAT) as a trigger for discussions in small groups. We developed a survey and administered it to students to capture their awareness of implicit bias pre-, post-, and one-year post-workshop attendance. Repeated Measures Analyses and independent-samples t-tests were used to examine for differences in responses on each of the seven survey items and a tabulated 7-item average of these seven items. Six of seven survey items and the tabulated 7-item average examined by Repeated Measures Analyses showed statistically significant increases between the pre-, post-, and one-year post-surveys (ps range: 0.01–0.07), with a small to moderate effect sizes (ƞp2s range: 0.01–0.07). Pairwise comparisons among these three surveys' results indicated statistically significant improvements between the pre- and the post-workshop surveys (ps range: 0.01–0.03) but no statistically significant differences between the post- and the one-year post-workshop surveys (ps range: 0.57–0.99). A separate sample of 17 off-cycle students who took the one-year post- workshop survey two years after the workshop did not differ statistically on the level of awareness of bias compared to those taking the same survey one year later, as examined by the two-group independent t-tests for the seven one-year post-workshop survey items (ps range: 0.56–0.99). The findings support one-year retention of knowledge and attitudes gained from an implicit bias workshop and suggest similar retention at two years. Future educational interventions that train learners to recognize and manage implicit and explicit behaviors in clinical practice are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This AMEE guide provides a robust framework and practical strategies for health professions educators to enhance their writing skills and engage in successful scholarship within a collaborative writing team. Whether scholarly output involves peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, blogs and online posts, online educational resources, collaborative writing requires more than the usual core writing skills, it requires teamwork, leadership and followership, negotiation, and conflict resolution, mentoring and more. Whilst educators can attend workshops or courses to enhance their writing skills, there may be fewer opportunities to join a community of scholars and engage in successful collaborative writing. There is very little guidance on how to find, join, position oneself and contribute to a writing group. Once individuals join a group, further questions arise as to how to contribute, when and whom to ask for help, whether their contribution is significant, and how to move from the periphery to the centre of the group. The most important question of all is how to translate disparate ideas into a shared key message and articulate it clearly. In this guide, we describe the value of working within a collaborative writing group; reflect on principles that anchor the concept of writing as a team and guide team behaviours; suggest explicit strategies to overcome challenges and promote successful writing that contributes to and advances the field; and review challenges to starting, maintaining, and completing writing tasks. We approach writing through three lenses: that of the individual writer, the writing team, and the scholarly product, the ultimate goal being meaningful contributions to the field of Health Professions Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulated and standardized patients (SPs) are increasingly being used in communication skills training for healthcare professionals' education. Despite this broad use of SPs, there is no recent literature with an overview on SP working formats being used. We ran a study to fill this gap. First, a survey on formats on the use of SPs in various curricula for education of healthcare professionals in Belgium and The Netherlands was run by members of the Dutch Association of Medical Education Special Interest Group on Simulated and Standardized patients (SIG-NL/B). Then the SIG-NL/B organized a national workshop where professionals working with or interested in SPs were invited to come forward with SP working formats they used. They were also asked to provide relevant details about the use. Finally, the outcomes of these two phases were combined. Fifteen SP working formats were found. Six of them were described before. The details of all formats are listed and discussed. We categorised 15 SP working formats. The choice to use a particular format is mainly based on the learning objectives of the session involved and the expertise at hand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although a growing literature describes how clinical competency committees (CCCs) make decisions about trainees' clinical performance, little is known about the resources these committees need to perform their work. In this pilot study, we examined key characteristics of CCC processes across generalist and surgical specialties. This study intended to clarify topic areas for further investigation. A cross-sectional web-based survey of CCC chairpersons at two institutions was conducted in 2017. Survey items were designed to describe not only CCC work, including types of assessment data used and time spent discussing learners, but also resource needs such as faculty development, institutional support, and protected time for members. The response rate was 59% (16/27). Only 44% offered faculty development to members. There was strong support for the institution to assist with faculty development for CCC members (81.25%), workshops for program coordinators (87.5%) and optimizing residency management software to organize assessment data (81.25%). Most respondents did not receive protected time for their committee work (93.75%). Further studies are needed to elucidate whether CCC work varies across specialties and the associated committee resource needs. There may be opportunities for institutions to assist CCCs with resources across specialties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The learner has a central role in feedback. We developed a feedback workshop for medical students grounded in two concepts: (1) Student agency in feedback and its interplay in the context of brief clinical attachments; (2) The educational alliance. To determine whether a brief feedback training workshop prior to a series of two-week clinical attachments improves agentic student feedback behaviour (e.g. seeking, recognising, evaluating and utilising feedback) and student satisfaction with feedback. We conducted surveys among three consecutive student cohorts undertaking three fortnightly paediatric clinical attachments. We pilot tested a workshop with Cohort 1 and implemented it for the entire Cohorts 2 (n = 58) and 3 (n = 68). Participants completed the same survey at the start and end of term, with different free-text items. Quantitative and qualitative responses were compared between groups. Student-reported agentic feedback behaviour increased across all outcomes except for feedback utilisation. Overall student satisfaction with feedback increased during the term in Cohorts 2 (23–65%, p = 0.002) and 3 (40–70%, p = 0.003) but not in Cohort 1 non-participating students (27–42%, p = 0.42). A brief one-off student-directed feedback workshop may improve agentic student feedback behaviours (e.g. feedback-seeking) and student satisfaction with feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) has begun the transition to Competency by Design (CBD), a new curricular model for residency education that 'ensure[s] competence, but teaches for excellence'. By 2022, all Canadian specialty programs are anticipated to have completed the CBD cohort process which includes workshops facilitated by a Royal College Clinician Educator. Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, was granted approval by the RCPSC to embark upon an accelerated path to competency-based medical education (CBME) for all our postgraduate specialties. This accelerated path allowed us to take an institutional approach for CBME implementation and ensure that all specialities were part of a system-wide change. Our unique institution-wide approach to CBD is the first of its kind across Canada. From both a theoretical and practical perspective we undertook CBME using a systems approach that allowed us to build the foundations for CBME, implement the change, and plan for sustainability. This has created opportunities to bridge and connect the various programs involved in the implementation of CBME on Queen's campus. The systems approach was an essential part of our strategy to develop a community dedicated to ensuring a successful CBME implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes a workshop in curriculum development for international medical fellows designed and implemented at the Department of Medical Education of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Definition of curriculum; Basic principles involved in the course; Educational strategies.

Aims: To identify, appraise and describe studies of cognitive interventions to improve diagnostic decision making (DDM) amongst medical professionals, assess their effectiveness and identify methodological limitations in existing studies. Methods: We systematically searched for studies (publication date 2000–2016) in multiple databases including Cochrane Controlled Trials, EMBASE, ERIC, Medline, PubMed and PsycINFO, and used additional strategies such as hand searching and snowballing. Included studies evaluated cognitive interventions to enhance DDM amongst medical professionals, using defined outcomes such as diagnostic accuracy. A meta-analysis assessed the impact of "reflection". Results: Forty-four studies out of 10,114 screened citations, involving 4380 medical professionals, were included. Studies evaluated reasoning workshops/curricula, de-biasing workshops, checklists, reflection, feedback, and instructions to induce analytical thinking. Guided reflection was demonstrated to improve DDM [effect size 0.38(95%CI 0.23–0.52), p < 0.001]. Immediate feedback and modeling reflection using contrasting examples also appeared to improve diagnostic accuracy, however underlying methodological issues prevented a quantitative assessment of any strategies other than reflection. Conclusions: Educational interventions incorporating practising deliberate reflection on a formulated diagnosis, modeled reflection on contrasting examples and immediate feedback are promising strategies for improving DDM. The effectiveness of other strategies is unknown, with more methodological refinements required in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Postgraduate medical education takes place almost entirely in the clinical workplace, supported by healthcare professionals who strive to combine service and educational roles. Over the past decade, we have witnessed the emergence and growth of new forms of educational activity within postgraduate medical education. Under the umbrella term of "faculty development", these activities move beyond a narrow emphasis on "teaching the teachers to teach" to a wide range of interventions focused on enhancing educational climate, educational infrastructure and educational practices within and across healthcare organizations. Method: Drawing on key developments in the UK over the last 10 years, we trace how faculty development in postgraduate medical education has evolved, illustrate the plurality of purposes, and practices currently being adopted and signal emerging trends. Discussion: We highlight that due to the location of UK medical training programs outside "the academy", innovations and developments in faculty development are largely silent in the formal medical education literature. Changing demographics, service pressures, and evolving healthcare systems continue to present serious challenges to both work-based training and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Creating a new testing program requires the development of a test blueprint that will determine how the items on each test form are distributed across possible content areas and practice domains. To achieve validity, categories of a blueprint are typically based on the judgments of content experts. How experts judgments are elicited and combined is important to the quality of resulting test blueprints. Methods: Content experts in dentistry participated in a day-long faculty-wide workshop to discuss, refine, and confirm the categories and their relative weights. After reaching agreement on categories and their definitions, experts judged the relative importance between category pairs, registering their judgments anonymously using iClicker, an audience response system. Judgments were combined in two ways: a simple calculation that could be performed during the workshop and a multidimensional scaling of the judgments performed later. Results: Content experts were able to produce a set of relative weights using this approach. The multidimensional scaling yielded a three-dimensional model with the potential to provide deeper insights into the basis of the experts’ judgments. Conclusion: The approach developed and demonstrated in this study can be applied across academic disciplines to elicit and combine content experts judgments for the development of test blueprints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public health faces the paradox of being increasingly emphasized by the key health and social care regulators and stakeholders, while remaining a largely under-represented discipline in the context of medical curricula. Enhancing medical student engagement in public health teaching is one way to address this concern. Methods: We discuss four key solutions to the challenges faced by public health educators in medical schools, and present five case studies which demonstrate innovative approaches to engaging medical students in our discipline. Results: Four different approaches have been piloted by members of the Public Health Educators in Medical Schools (PHEMS) network: (i) ensuring social accountability, (ii) demonstrating clinical relevance, (iii) mapping the core curriculum, and (iv) using technology enhanced learning. Preliminary student feedback suggests that these approaches can be used to position public health as an enabler of modern medical practice, and promote a more holistic understanding of medicine by linking patient-centred care to the population level. Conclusions: The zeitgeist in both academia and the healthcare system supports the teaching of public health within the medical curriculum; there is also consensus at the political and pedagogical level. The challenge of ensuring engagement now needs to be met at the student–teacher interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory frameworks around the world mandate that health and social care professional education programs graduate practitioners who have the competence and capability to practice effectively in interprofessional collaborative teams. Academic institutions are responding by offering interprofessional education (IPE); however, there is as yet no consensus regarding optimal strategies for the assessment of interprofessional learning (IPL). The Program Committee for the 17th Ottawa Conference in Perth, Australia in March, 2016, invited IPE champions to debate and discuss the current status of the assessment of IPL. A draft statement from this workshop was further discussed at the global All Together Better Health VIII conference in Oxford, UK in September, 2016. The outcomes of these deliberations and a final round of electronic consultation informed the work of a core group of international IPE leaders to develop this document. The consensus statement we present here is the result of the synthesized views of experts and global colleagues. It outlines the challenges and difficulties but endorses a set of desired learning outcome categories and methods of assessment that can be adapted to individual contexts and resources. The points of consensus focus on pre-qualification (pre-licensure) health professional students but may be transferable into post-qualification arenas. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents 2014 news on medical education. The Ottowa 2014 Center for Medical Education (CMEE) conference took place in Ottowa, Canada in April. On August 31 the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) will hold a workshop in Milan, Italy on the challenges of medical education. Registrations are being accepted for Essential Skills in Medical Education online leadership courses being offered in September. A brief quiz on medical education and abstracts of articles related to it are also offered.

The article presents news briefs, questions and answers, and other information related to the teaching of medicine as of July 1, 2014. Topics discussed include the future of educational research, the online streaming of the 2014 Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) conference in Milan, Italy, and a question of whether or not medical students should be educated about sexual violence.

The article reports on medical conferences to be held in 2014 including the International Association of Medical Science Educators Meeting, the AMEE (Association for Medical Education in Europe) 2014 Conference and MedEdWorld webinars on self-assessment, clinical teaching and mentoring.

Background: Consistent identification and prevention of failure for at-risk medical students is challenging, failing courses is costly to all stakeholders, and there is need for further research into duration, timing and structure of interventions to help students in difficulty. Aims: To verify the value of a new exam two weeks into medical school as a predictor of failure, and explore the requirements for a preventative intervention. Methods: Students who failed the two-week exam were invited to a series of large-group workshops and small-group follow-up meetings. Participants' subsequent exam performance was compared with non-participants. Results: About 71% of students who performed poorly in the new exam subsequently failed a course. Attendance at the workshops made no difference to short- or long-term pass rates. Attendance at more than three follow-up small group sessions significantly improved pass rates two semesters later, and was influenced by teacher experience. Conclusions: Close similarity between predictor task and target task is important for accurate prediction of failure. Consideration should be given to dose effect and class size in the prevention of failure of at-risk students, and we recommend a systemic approach to intervention/remediation programmes, involving a whole semester of mandatory, weekly small group meetings with experienced teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health professional schools are responsible for producing graduates with competencies and attitudes to address health inequities and respond to priority health needs. Health professional schools striving towards social accountability founded the Training for Health Equity Network (THEnet). Aim: This article describes the development of THEnet evaluation framework for socially accountable health professional education, presents the framework to be used as a tool by other schools and discusses the findings of pilot implementation at five schools. Methods: The framework was designed collaboratively and built on Boelen and Woollard's conceptualization, production and usability model. It includes key components, linked to aspirational statements, indicators and suggested measurement tools. Five schools completed pilot implementation, involving workshops, document/data review and focus group discussions with faculty, students and community members. Results: Three sections of the framework consider: How does our school work?; What do we do? and What difference do we make? Pilot testing proved that the evaluation framework was acceptable and feasible across contexts and produced findings useful at school level and to compare schools. The framework is designed as a formative exercise to help schools take a critical look at their performance and progress towards social accountability. Initiatives to implement the framework more widely are underway. The framework effectively aids in identifying strengths, weaknesses and gaps, with a view to schools striving for continuous self-improvement. Conclusion: THEnet evaluation framework is applicable and useful across contexts. It is possible and desirable to assess progress towards social accountability in health professional schools and this is an important step in producing health professionals with knowledge, attitudes, and skills to meet the challenges of priority health needs of underserved populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: World-wide, rural clinical training of undergraduate medical students is looking to transform learning experiences, calling for the adoption of innovative approaches that create spaces for curriculum renewal and new ways of thinking. In order for these teaching models to gain acceptance and credibility among the relevant academic communities, it is critical that they be studied and evaluated. Aim: This article describes an innovative rural education intervention and a concomitant, intentional process that was adopted to establish a research framework within which the intervention will be evaluated. Methods: Key role-players participated in a one-day workshop aimed at developing the framework. A collaborative, structured process that moved through three phases of deliberation and reflection was followed. Results: The documentation and raw data generated during the workshop was used to generate the framework that will serve as a blueprint for ensuring the study and evaluation of the educational innovation. Conclusion: Establishing an educational research framework, by adopting a consultative and collaborative process, provides a vehicle for encouraging a culture of critical accountability that seeks to discern evidence of good practice in the training of health care workers in a rural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This section offers medical education news briefs. Research grants totaling up to 10,000 British pounds will be provided by nonprofit Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) for education research projects and will be open for AMEE Individual and Student Members. Prague, Czech Republic will play host for the AMEE 2013 convention to be held from August 24-28, 2014. A new e-learning Training and Learning Architecture was introduced by the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative.

Background: Due to the increasing complexity of medical education and practice, the preparation of healthcare professionals for leadership roles and responsibilities has become increasingly important. To date, the literature on faculty development designed to promote leadership in medical education has not been reviewed in a systematic fashion. Aim: The objective of this review is to synthesize the existing evidence that addresses the following question: 'What are the effects of faculty development interventions designed to improve leadership abilities on the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of faculty members in medicine and on the institutions in which they work?' Methods: Search strategy: The search, which covered the period 1980-2009, included six databases (Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, ERIC, and ABI/Inform) and used the following keywords: faculty development; in-service training; doctor; medic; physician; faculty; leadership; management; administration; executive; and change agent. Hand searches were also conducted, and expert recommendations were solicited. Inclusion and exclusion criteria: Articles with a focus on faculty development to improve leadership, targeting basic science and clinical faculty members, were reviewed. All study designs that included outcome data beyond participant satisfaction were examined. From an initial 687 unique records, 48 articles met the review criteria in three broad categories: (1) reports in which leadership was the primary focus of the intervention; (2) reports in which leadership was a component of a broader focus on educational development; and (3) reports in which leadership was a component of a broader focus on academic career development. Data extraction: Data were extracted by three coders using the standardized Best Evidence Medical Education coding sheet adapted for our use. One reviewer coded all of the articles, and two reviewers each coded half of the dataset. Coding differences were resolved through discussion. Data synthesis: Data were synthesized using Kirkpatrick's four levels of educational outcomes. Findings were grouped by intervention type and level of outcome. Results: Forty-eight articles described 41 studies of 35 different interventions. The majority of the interventions targeted clinical faculty members and included workshops, short courses, fellowships, and other longitudinal programs. The majority of studies were quantitative in nature, though five studies used a qualitative design, and 12 studies used mixed methods. All quantitative studies were quasi-experimental and most employed a single group design; only two studies had a comparison group. Qualitative study designs were typically not specified. The majority of evaluation data, primarily collected post-intervention, consisted of participants' responses to questionnaires and interviews. Key points and summary of outcomes: Despite methodological limitations, the faculty development literature tends to support the following outcomes: ▪ High satisfaction with faculty development programs. Participants consistently found programs to be useful and of both personal and professional benefit. They also valued the practical relevance and applicability of the instructional methods used. ▪ A change in attitudes toward organizational contexts and leadership roles. Participants reported positive changes in attitudes toward their own organizations as well as their leadership capabilities. Some reported an increased awareness of - and commitment to - their institution's vision and challenges, whereas others reported greater self-awareness of personal strengths and limitations, increased motivation, and confidence in their leadership roles. A greater sense of community and appreciation of the benefits of networking were also identified. ▪ Gains in knowledge and skills. Participants reported increased knowledge of leadership concepts, principles, and strategies (e.g., leadership styles and strategic planning), gains in specific leadership skills (e.g., personal effectiveness and conflict resolution), and increased awareness of leadership roles in academic settings. ▪ Changes in leadership behavior. Self-perceived changes in leadership behavior were consistently reported and included a change in leadership styles, the application of new skills to the workplace (e.g., departmental reorganization and team building), the adoption of new leadership roles and responsibilities, and the creation of new collaborations and networks. Observed changes primarily suggested new leadership positions. ▪ Limited changes in organizational practice. Although not frequently examined, changes in organizational practice included the implementation of specific educational innovations, an increased emphasis on educational scholarship, and the establishment of collegial networks. ▪ Key features of faculty development. Features contributing to positive outcomes included the use of: multiple instructional methods within single interventions; experiential learning and reflective practice; individual and group projects; peer support and the development of communities of practice; mentorship; and institutional support. ▪ Avenues for future development: Moving forward, faculty development programs should: ground their work in a theoretical framework; articulate their definition of leadership; consider the role of context; explore the value of extended programs and follow-up sessions; and promote the use of alternative practices including narrative approaches, peer coaching, and team development. Methodological issues: More rigorous and diverse research designs are needed to capture the complexity of interventions in this area. Varied methods of assessment, utilizing multiple data sources to tap changes at the interpersonal and organizational level should be explored, as should the maintenance of change over time. Process-oriented studies, comparing different faculty development strategies and clarifying the process of change through faculty development, should also become a priority. Conclusion: Participants value leadership development activities and report changes in attitudes, knowledge, skills and behavior. Moreover, despite methodological limitations, certain program characteristics seem to be associated with positive outcomes. Further research is required to explore these associations and document changes at both the individual and organizational level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: At times, preceptors struggle with aspects of resident education. Many are looking for more support and faculty development in this area. Aims: To address preceptors' needs for resources and provide a proactive framework for their teaching, the Academic Support Process (ASP) website was developed and evaluated. Preceptors' ( N == 35) experiences using the ASP website, as well as their perceptions of its usefulness in supporting resident education, were identified. Methods: The research comprised two phases: a self-directed workshop involving the creation of a web-based learning plan for a standardised scenario of a resident in difficulty followed by 3 months use of the ASP website with residents in their practice. Information on their experiences was solicited via surveys and focus group interviews. Results: Findings revealed the ASP website enabled preceptors to find words for their concerns around resident competency, gave them a proactive teaching framework, expanded their arsenal of teaching strategies, and supported a customised approach for all learners along the performance spectrum. However, there were a number of challenges encountered by the preceptors that affected site use and buy in. Conclusions: Results are promising. Next steps involve developing a clear strategy for adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers news and notes related to medical education. It states that the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) 2012 conference will be held at Centre de Congrès in Lyon, France on August 25-29. It presents questions and answers on medical students and educators. It mentions the use of live videoconference technology at the National University of Singapore and Stanford University.

Background: Plagiarism is a common issue in education. Software can detect plagiarism but little is known about prevention. Aims: To identify ways to reduce the incidence of plagiarism in a postgraduate programme. Methods: From 2006, all student assignments were monitored using plagiarism detection software (Turn It In) to produce percentage text matches for each assignment. In 2007, students were advised software was being used, and that plagiarism would result in penalties. In 2008, students attending a key module took part in an additional interactive seminar on plagiarism. A separate cohort of students did not attend the seminar, allowing comparison between attendees and non-attendees. Results: Between 2006 and 2007, mean percentage text match values were consistent with a stable process, indicating advice and warnings were ineffective. Control chart analysis revealed that between 2007 and 2008, mean percentage text match changes showed a reduced text match in all nine modules, where students attended the interactive seminar, but none where students did not. This indicated that the interactive seminar had an effect. In 2008, there were no occurrences of plagiarism. Improvements were maintained in 2009. Conclusions: Advice and warnings against plagiarism were ineffective but a subsequent interactive seminar was effective at reducing plagiarism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social anxiety manifests as a fear of social situations, including being observed by others (Bruce & Saeed 1999). Communication skills workshops frequently involve student performance being observed by others, therefore social anxiety may impact upon attitudes to this style of teaching. Aims: To determine the levels of social anxiety amongst medical undergraduates and investigate whether this influenced attitudes towards communication skills teaching. Methods: 247 medical students (three year groups, 60% female) from the University of St Andrews completed a questionnaire survey measuring levels of social anxiety and attitudes to communication skills teaching (Mattick & Clarke 1998; Rees et al. 2002). Results: Average social anxiety scores in the students were lower (t-tests, P < 0.001) than other groups measured by Mattick & Clarke (1998). A minority (8%) of medical undergraduates however experienced high levels of social anxiety. High social anxiety scores correlated with negative attitudes to communication skills teaching, especially among female students (r = 0.359, P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Social anxiety contributes to a negative attitude towards communication skills teaching and may impact on participation in group workshops. This information could influence the methods tutors use for the provision of feedback in such workshops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical schools seldom involve students in applicant recruitment. The authors describe the role of junior medical students in recruitment at the University of Ottawa, aiming to increase the Franco-Ontarian applicant pool for the French-language medical program. The students have designed workshops reflecting their study program and offered them, since 1997, to 719 Ontario French-language high school students and to 291 francophone undergraduate university students. The workshops emphasize role modeling by medical students who act as physician-teachers while attendees act as medical students. Evaluation measures include attendee surveys, medical student focus groups and faculty admissions statistics. Attendees give uniformly positive evaluations, highlighting the importance of role modeling. Medical students find teaching enjoyable and highly educational. Admissions statistics show that the Franco-Ontarian applicant pool has more than doubled in spite of an almost fourfold increase in tuition fees. This experience has shown that junior medical student involvement in recruitment activities can benefit both the trainees and their institution. Practice points •Medical schools need to train a sufficiently large and diverse physician workforce to meet societal healthcare needs. •Institutions need to develop recruitment strategies to attract qualified applicants and give special attention to minority groups that are underrepresented in medicine. •Allowing junior medical students to act as teachers and role models for high school and university students during recruitment activities can be a useful strategy for institutions: medical students are highly effective in sparking the interest of young people for the medical profession. •Medical students who participate in the recruitment activities find their teaching experience both stimulating and educational; many aspire to teach when in clinical practice. •The recruitment program presented here can be adapted to health sciences and many other disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for cross-cultural training (CCT) increases as physicians encounter more culturally diverse patients. However, most medical schools relegate this topic to non-clinical years, hindering skills development. Some residency programs have successfully addressed this deficit by teaching cross-cultural communication skills in a teaching objective structured clinical examination (tOSCE) context. The authors developed and evaluated a CCT workshop designed to teach cross-cultural communication skills to third-year medical students using a tOSCE approach. A 1½-day workshop incorporating didactic, group discussion and tOSCE components taught medical students cross-cultural awareness, interviewing skills, working with an interpreter, attention to complementary treatments, and consideration of culture in treatment and prevention. Six standardized patient cases introduced various clinical scenarios and the practical and ethical aspects of cross-cultural care. Student evaluation of the workshop was positive concerning educational value, skills advancement and pertinence to their clinical activities. Survey of students before and after the workshop demonstrated improvement in students' abilities to assess the culture and health beliefs of patients and negotiate issues regarding treatment. CCT in the context of medical student clinical training can be carried out effectively and efficiently using a dedicated multi-modal workshop including standardized patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some International Medical Graduates (IMGs) need to develop language and communication skills for patient-centred care but have limited opportunities to do so. Aim: To develop an evidence-based, language and communication skills web resource for IMG doctors and supervisors, focussing on culturally challenging patient interviews. Methods: Forty-eight IMGs participated in four practice OSCEs. We video-recorded the interactions and applied discourse analytic methods to investigate salient language and communication features. Results: The findings from the OSCE workshops showed that many participants demonstrated aspects of patient-centred interviewing but were hindered by limited interactional competence to elicit information and negotiate behaviours as well as a limited repertoire of English grammar, vocabulary, and phonological phrasing for effective interaction. These findings guided the choice of content and pedagogy for the development of the web-based resource Doctors Speak Up. Conclusion: Evaluation and uptake of the Doctors Speak Up website confirm the demand for a resource combining targeted communication skills and language instruction. Over 19 500 users visited the website between March 2012 and November 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes a 3 h workshop which succeeds in overcoming teachers' reluctance to participate in situations that are relevant to their real teaching problems, students and subject matter. How the procedure used in the workshop is described; Strengths and weakness of the workshop; Conclusion.

The outcome of continuing education programs is often based on self-assessment. We evaluated the relationship of self-assessment of knowledge based on rating scales with scores obtained on objective validated tests in evidence-based medicine workshops. In the West Midlands region (1998), 55 participants attended three workshops in critical appraisal of the medical literature.They completed two self-assessment questionnaires: one used a rating scale to subjectively examine the level of knowledge of six different literature appraisal issues; the other objectively assessed participants' literature appraisal knowledge in those issues using validated multiple true-false questions. Comparison of subjective scores reflecting understanding of specific literature appraisal issues with corresponding objective test scores revealed a poor correlation (r[sub s] ranged from -0.29 to 0.60 for the different knowledge issues assessed). Perception of ones level of knowledge did not always correlate with correctly possessed knowledge. In some instances, those who thought they were knowledgeable actually possessed incorrect knowledge. Therefore, continuing medical education programs should focus on objective, not subjective tests to assess outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents news items on medical education, compiled as of July 1, 2001. European computer driving license; Calendar of conferences, training programs and workshops.