University of Virginia School of Medicine
Curriculum Executive Management Group
Minutes – 03/22/12

Pediatric Conference Room, 4:00 p.m.

Present (underlined) were: Peter Ham, Donald Innes (Chair),  Keith Littlewood,  Nancy McDaniel (Acting Chair), Bart Nathan,  Casey White,  Mary Kate Worden,  Debra Reed (secretary)

1. Cardiovascular System 2012.  The Curriculum Executive Management Group reviewed the revised draft of plans for the 2012 Cardiovascular System.  The group was pleased with the recent revisions to the plan and will offer suggestions for consideration by the System Leader.  John Dent, CV System Leader. will be asked to present the final CV system plan for review at a System Leaders meeting in April. 
   
   
   

   1.	Some Learning Objectives (esp. in the Basic Science areas) seem to be too many/too detailed for a one hour learning activity (i.e. 58 LO’s for a one hour lecture in Pharm).
   2	Increased team teaching activities - especially with Basic Science and Clinicians paired together - was applauded.
   3.	The group agreed that there was a huge amount of material in this section and it might be good to scale back the volume slightly.
   4.	Physiology material as it relates to the CV system has been added.  The Group would like to see the physiology material (i.e. action potentials) introduced as early as possible (perhaps in the first week).  It was noted that some of this information (i.e. action potential, refractory period) has been touched on in MBB and should merely be expanded on in the CV system.
   5.	Use of camtasia to review smooth muscle, striated muscle, cardiac muscle, anti-arrhythmics is encouraged.
   6.	The Group noted that the System Leader, John Dent, should make sure that system time is allotted based on the most important topics (i.e. most common or most dangerous – hypertension, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias) in this system
   7.	The new textbook should be an asset to this system though physiology information may need to be supplemented from other resources.  Nancy McDaniel will review the new textbook and provide information to Sabrina Nunez.
   8.	The number of scheduled TBLs and quizzes in the system was discussed.  The Group believes students take TBLs very seriously (considering them exams) and perhaps because there are many quizzes and TBLs, grades might not be necessary for some of these activities.
   9.	It was noted that two areas that could easily be tied to MBB are syncope and carotid artery disease (perhaps in the case presentations).
   10.	The group suggested diagnosis and management of cardiac arrest be included in one of the cases (i.e. CPD activities).

   
   
2. Engagement Sessions Defined.  The Group reviewed and endorsed the following guidelines for engagement sessions.  After review by the Curriculum Committee, the instructors as well as the reviewers will be notified of these guidelines. This policy with engagement defined as representing 40% of the allotted time would allow for measurement of engagement activities by session rather than in minutes as was done in the past year.  The group would also like to see increased involvement by the instructional design team in these engagement sessions. 
   
   "Engagement Sessions" are learning units that contain “active learning” educational activities in which the student applies, analyzes, or evaluates information AND in which the students are interacting BOTH with the material and with others in a way that generates feedback (peer or instructor). For a session to count as an "Engagement Session" the  “active learning” should represent 40% of the allotted time. If this definition is met then the session is counted as “engagement” for the entire allotted time.
   
   "Engagement Sessions" are NOT information only; clicker use alone is not sufficient.
   
   Examples of “active learning”:
   1-minute papers on application-level material followed by discussion
   Clicker assessment with student discussion
   Team Based Learning
   Problem sets
   Case/Small Group discussions
   Think-Pair-Share
   Worksheets
   
   
3. Clinical Performance Development.  Nancy McDaniel outlined the plans for CPD I and CPD II in the 2012-13 year.  Weekly faculty development sessions will be organized for CPD I.  These sessions would take plac during  the first ½ hour of the weekly CPD sessions.  These sessions will be designed to enhance consistency among the CPD small groups.  For CPD II, areas that might best be taught in intersessions of multiple clerkships is being determined and workshops will be developed.  OSCEs in areas such as sterile field, etc. are being designed as well.  It was suggested that designating “teaching faculty” in all clerkships should be considered.

Nancy L. McDaniel, M.D.
dmr