University of Virginia School of  Medicine
Curriculum Committee
Minutes
03.18.10

Pediatric Conference Room, 4:00 p.m.

Present (underlined) were: Gretchen Arnold,  Robert Bloodgood, Megan Bray, Donna Chen, Eugene Corbett, Thomas Gampper, Wendy Golden, Donald Innes (Chair), Keith Littlewood, Jim Martindale, Veronica Michaelsen, Mohan Nadkarni, Chris Peterson, Jerry Short, Linda Waggoner-Fountain, Bill Wilson,  Mary Kate Worden,  John Hemler, Evan Lapinsky, Brad Bradenham,  Debra Reed (secretary)  

1. Academy of Distinguished Educators (UME) Research and Innovation Grant. (Bob Bloodgood) The Academy announces it's seventh round of grants for research and innovations in medical education. Support is limited to research related to the education of undergraduate medical students (UME). The PI must be a faculty member of the UVA School of Medicine. The ADE is interested in increasing the number of applications they receive. Interested faculty are encouraged to apply.
   
   Two categories of proposals are accepted for consideration:
   
   Medical Education Research: 1-year to 2-year proposals (up to $25,000/year): These are research studies using comparison and experimental groups in sufficient numbers to provide adequate power for statistical analysis. Where possible, it is desirable to have randomized assignment of students to groups and to sample students from multiple medical schools. This can include but not be limited to studies testing two types of didactic method such as in-person lecturing versus use of pod-casts; controlled evaluations of the efficacy of certain educational interventions, such as the inclusion of computer simulation versus clinical vignettes. Both quantitative and qualitative research projects are appropriate, as are meta-analyses of the medical education research literature.
   
   Innovations in Medical Education: 1-year proposals (up to $15,000): These are evaluation studies without comparison groups. Outcome data are required in order to describe the effects of the innovation. Included in this category are descriptive observational, interview, and survey studies to determine the current status of or impact of educational interventions (innovative or pre-existing) designed to improve student skill, knowledge or attitude, e.g. the observation of student behavior on a clerkship rotation, a test of student knowledge in a particular area, an anonymous survey of alcohol use among medical students, or an interview study asking students to describe exemplary examples of professionalism by faculty and residents.
   
   There will be a faculty development session on March 30, 2010 at 4:00 pm in the Jordan Hall Conference Center Rooms G1 and G2 to tell faculty about the program.
   
   A survey is being conducted to see if faculty who received these grants in the past have published their findings or displayed their findings in poster sessions at national meetings.
   
   Specifics of the grant application process may be found at:
   /ade/home-page
   
   
2. UME Education:   QI and Patient Safety.  Dr. John Voss met with the Committee to discuss ways to incorporate QU and patient safety into the UME curriculum.
   
    
   
   

   Core curriculum should include: Background KSA acquisition- didactics Experiential QI/safety learning- team learning Didactic elements QI & safety epidemiology/ background, principles of population-based medicine Systems science Human factors Systems thinking, Complexity theory Organization dynamics QI & safety skills PDSA cycles, root cause analysis, variation, process mapping Data collection ,analysis, presentation skills (run & control charts) Team participation & leadership (focus on interprofessional teams) Change theory & implementation Experiential learning Requirements for effective experiential learning in QI/safety  include: Supportive institutional culture & infrastructure Faculty skilled and interested in QI/safety methods Residents interested in improving processes of care Functioning interprofessional teams who accept  medical students as active participants Clinically relevant and educationally meaningful medical student role Neartime relevant population-based data available Current/past location in UME curriculum Current: AIM clerkship: CHESS simulation, RxDx course Past?: POM 1 (PBM, CDR exercises) Options Online modules: teach didactics, demonstrate skill familiarity Reflective exercises/portfolio entries based on clinical encounters CDR analysis: population level analysis or use CDR to build a cognitive simulation Create QI proposal: practice skills/ ?OSCE  ACGME Vanderbilt matrix exercise Team training/CRM Participate in longitudinal QI (best but many many challenges)

   
   The Curriculum Committee supports incorporation of this valuable thread into the curriculum.  Areas for possible integration include online net learning modules, CPD,  simulation sessions,  transition course,  DX/RX and the clerkships and electives. This could be initiate valuable interprofessional activities.  The Committee briefly discussed having this thread represented on the individual clerkship passports.
   
   Dr. Voss and Dr. Margaret Plews-Ogan are invited to speak at the Clerkship Directors Joint Clerkship meeting on April 21^st.
   
   
3. 2009 USMLE Step 1 Scores. Performance data from the 2009 USMLE Step 1 exam are now posted on the web:
   
   http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/handbook/academics/licensure-page#results
   
   
4. The Curriculum Committee congratulates Brad Bradenham, Lisa Herman and Jason Woods on achieving such wonderful residency positions in today's match. Each has served the Curriculum Committee well over the past several years.

Donald J. Innes, Jr., M.D.
dmr