New approaches to medical
education could mean big changes to the way doctors are trained.
By
The Royal College of Canada
OTTAWA, Sept. 23 /
Experts from around the world gathered in Ottawa today for the start of
the third annual International Conference on Residency Education (ICRE),
which is being organized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Canada.
The unique three-day
conference will examine current postgraduate medical education programs
and challenges, and focus on emerging trends that could significantly
change the way doctors are trained.
The keynote speaker for
the opening session, Dr. Brian Hodges, Director, Donald R. Wilson Centre
for Research in Education, University of Toronto, says many reports in
Canada and the United States have called for "significant changes to
medical education that will allow doctors to better adapt to today's
complex environments, work in teams, and meet a wide range of social
needs."
"These proposed changes
have created two powerful competing models of competence development
operating at odds with one another at a time when doctors are facing
increasing challenges in their work," says Dr. Hodges.
"The medical
profession, as a whole, must find a way forward on this issue," he
says, "and be willing to incorporate new approaches to postgraduate
medical education that promise to enhance patient safety and satisfaction,
while fostering doctor well-being and professional development."
The traditional model of
competence development is time-based and relies on students participating
in an educational program for a historically determined fixed time period.
The newer model is outcomes-based and focuses more on the functional
capabilities of the resident or practicing physician.
"Each of these models has
its merits and drawbacks," says Dr. Hodges, "and this conference
will be instrumental in helping us to examine them from different
perspectives and in a real-world context. For example, the
outcomes-based model would mean having individualized, variable-length
programs that might be excellent for competence development, but could be
a real nightmare for teaching institutions to implement."
Under the theme
"Residency Education, Reimagined," the conference will also
examine a wide range of other issues facing postgraduate medical
education. These issues include continuing efforts to strike the
right balance between patient safety and the hours worked by medical
residents, which will be discussed at a groundbreaking half-day symposium
within the conference.
The full ICRE 2010 program can
be viewed online at: www.royalcollege.ca/icre/program.php
About the Royal College
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada is a national,
not-for-profit organization of more than 42,000 members in 87 countries.
The Royal College contributes to improving the health of Canadians by
setting the highest standards for specialty medicine. Dedicated to
lifelong learning, the organization is a trusted partner in advancing
sound health and public policy. To find out more, please visit: www.royalcollege.ca
