Defining Success The role of medical education units and the people who work in them

1. Defining SuccessThe role of medical education units and the people who work in them Glenn Regehr, PhD Professor and Associate Director, ResearchCentre for Health Education ScholarshipFaculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia

2. Today’s talk • Premise of my invitation: • Many medical education units are experiencinga crisis of identity • Feeling “unsuccessful” • Looking for ways to fix this

3. Today’s talk • Premise of my invitation: • Many medical education units are experiencinga crisis of identity • Feeling “unsuccessful” • Looking for ways to fix this • Premise of my talk: • Offer a different perspective on the problem • Definition of success should be aligned with mission of unit • Mission of many units underspecified

4. Today’s talk • Premise of my invitation: • Many medical education units are experiencinga crisis of identity • Feeling “unsuccessful” • Looking for ways to fix this • Premise of my talk: • Offer a different perspective on the problem • Definition of success should be aligned with mission of unit • Mission of many units underspecified • Provide language for establishing the purpose of one’s unit(and the resulting roles of those who work there)

5. Disclosures/Disclaimers • My journey (in titles) • My Canadian context

6. Defining the “problem”

7. The many roles of med ed units • Curriculum / course development • Curriculum / course delivery(coordination) • Curriculum / course evaluation • Faculty development • Research support structure for clinical faculty • Grants and publication

8. PhD roles in medical education

9. PhD roles in medical education • The professional educator • Curriculum development • Consultation to administrators • Faculty • Direct teaching of medical students / residents

10. PhD roles in medical education • The professional educator • “Make our educational programs better”

11. PhD roles in medical education • The professional educator • “Make our educational programs better” • The tasked researcher • The program evaluator / researcher on the curriculum team • Collect evidence that our innovations are better than others’ • Publication as “advertising” of the great programs we have

12. PhD roles in medical education • The professional educator • “Make our educational programs better” • The tasked researcher • “Make our programs famous”

13. PhD roles in medical education • The professional educator • “Make our educational programs better” • The tasked researcher • “Make our programs famous” • The high end research assistant / technician • Ensure that people’s education projects are publishable • Do stuff for them that they can’t do for themselves(find literature / add theory / clean up methods / do stats / draft paper)

14. PhD roles in medical education • The professional educator • “Make our educational programs better” • The tasked researcher • “Make our programs famous” • The high end research assistant / technician • “Make our people academically credible”

15. PhD roles in medical education • The professional educator • “Make our educational programs better” • The tasked researcher • “Make our programs famous” • The high end research assistant / technician • “Make our people academically credible” • The classic scientist • Develop one’s own curiosity driven program of research • Get grants (with big overhead and salary support) and publications • Build a lab (that other people might join)

16. PhD roles in medical education • The professional educator • “Make our educational programs better” • The tasked researcher • “Make our programs famous” • The high end research assistant / technician • “Make our people academically credible” • The classic scientist • “Become famous and make us proud”(and don’t cost us anything)

17. SDRME job ad • Working with faculty or independently to direct, design, and conduct research involving medical student, resident and faculty education programs. Prepare research proposals, write and edit manuscripts for publication, and present findings at national and regional meetings. Prepare and monitor relevant study IRB applications. • Co-author/author publications. • Advise and provide technical assistance in research methodology, performing literature reviews, scholarly writing, IRB applications, and seeking available funding opportunities • Assist with obtaining funding by writing and submitting grant proposals • Supervise and oversee undergraduate and graduate student research assistants.

18. SDRME job ad • Working with faculty or independently to direct, design, and conduct research involving medical student, resident and faculty education programs. Prepare research proposals, write and edit manuscripts for publication, and present findings at national and regional meetings. Prepare and monitor relevant study IRB applications. • Co-author/author publications. • Advise and provide technical assistance in research methodology, performing literature reviews, scholarly writing, IRB applications, and seeking available funding opportunities • Assist with obtaining funding by writing and submitting grant proposals • Supervise and oversee undergraduate and graduate student research assistants.

19. SDRME job ad • Working with faculty or independently to direct, design, and conduct research involving medical student, resident and faculty education programs. Prepare research proposals, write and edit manuscripts for publication, and present findings at national and regional meetings. Prepare and monitor relevant study IRB applications. • Co-author/author publications. • Advise and provide technical assistance in research methodology, performing literature reviews, scholarly writing, IRB applications, and seeking available funding opportunities • Assist with obtaining funding by writing and submitting grant proposals • Supervise and oversee undergraduate and graduate student research assistants.

20. SDRME job ad • Working with faculty or independently to direct, design, and conduct research involving medical student, resident and faculty education programs. Prepare research proposals, write and edit manuscripts for publication, and present findings at national and regional meetings. Prepare and monitor relevant study IRB applications. • Co-author/author publications. • Advise and provide technical assistance in research methodology, performing literature reviews, scholarly writing, IRB applications, and seeking available funding opportunities • Assist with obtaining funding by writing and submitting grant proposals • Supervise and oversee undergraduate and graduate student research assistants.

21. SDRME job ad • Working with faculty or independently to direct, design, and conduct research involving medical student, resident and faculty education programs. Prepare research proposals, write and edit manuscripts for publication, and present findings at national and regional meetings. Prepare and monitor relevant study IRB applications. • Co-author/author publications. • Advise and provide technical assistance in research methodology, performing literature reviews, scholarly writing, IRB applications, and seeking available funding opportunities • Assistwith obtaining funding by writing and submitting grant proposals • Supervise and oversee undergraduate and graduate student research assistants.

22. SDRME job ad • Working with faculty or independently to direct, design, and conduct research involving medical student, resident and faculty education programs. Prepare research proposals, write and edit manuscripts for publication, and present findings at national and regional meetings. Prepare and monitor relevant study IRB applications. • Co-author/author publications. • Advise and provide technical assistance in research methodology, performing literature reviews, scholarly writing, IRB applications, and seeking available funding opportunities • Assistwith obtaining funding by writing and submitting grant proposals • Supervise and oversee undergraduate and graduate student research assistants.

23. SDRME job ad • Working with faculty or independently to direct, design, and conduct research involving medical student, resident and faculty education programs. Prepare research proposals, write and edit manuscripts for publication, and present findings at national and regional meetings. Prepare and monitor relevant study IRB applications. • Co-author/author publications. • Advise and provide technical assistance in research methodology, performing literature reviews, scholarly writing, IRB applications, and seeking available funding opportunities • Assistwith obtaining funding by writing and submitting grant proposals • Supervise and oversee undergraduate and graduate student research assistants.

24. SDRME job ad • A strong publication record, scholarly research and writing experience • Quantitative and qualitative research skills • Ability to consult with faculty to design and implement educational research • Outstanding interpersonal skills, the ability to lead and work on a team, effective critical thinking skills, and a strong service orientation

25. SDRME job ad • A strong publication record, scholarly research and writing experience • Quantitative and qualitative research skills • Ability to consult with faculty to design and implement educational research • Outstanding interpersonal skills, the ability to lead and work on a team, effective critical thinking skills, and a strong service orientation • The position is funded for 2 years with possible renewal based on performance. Performance will be evaluated by successful publication, presentation, and funding submissions.

26. So now what?

27. Singularity of purpose • “Those who built the good-to-great companies were, to one degree or another, hedgehogs. They used their hedgehog nature to drive toward what we came to call a Hedgehog Concept for their companies. Those who led the comparison companies tended to be foxes, never gaining the clarifying advantage of a Hedgehog Concept, being instead scattered, diffused, and inconsistent.”

28. Flexibility within that purpose • “Visionary companies distinguish their timeless core values and enduring purpose (which should never change) from their operating practices and business strategies (which should be changing constantly in response to a changing world).”

29. Singularity of purpose • CHES will shape the theories and practices of teaching and learning in the health professions by: • Creating new knowledge through research and informed innovation • Building capacity for scholarship and scholarly thinking through the mentorship of individuals • Fostering a culture of collaboration and scholarly thinking in health professions education.

30. Flexibility within that purpose • Broad range of scholarly approaches • Positivist and constructivist epistemologies • Qualitative and quantitative methodologies • Research and innovation as sources of new knowledge • Multiple theoretical lenses • Cognitive • Rhetorical • Sociocultural • No “defining themes” • Many small bonfires rather than one big forest fire • Open door support of anyone with a burning passion • Philosophical • Psychometric • Educational

31. Singularity of purpose • CHES will shape the theories and practices of teaching and learning in the health professions by: • Creating new knowledge through research and informed innovation • Building capacity for scholarship and scholarly thinking through the mentorship of individuals • Fostering a culture of collaboration and scholarly thinking in health professions education.

32. Singularity of purpose • CHES will shape the theories and practices of teaching and learning in the health professions by: • Creating new knowledge through research and informed innovation • Building capacity for scholarship and scholarly thinking through the mentorship of individuals • Fostering a culture of collaboration and scholarly thinking in health professions education.

33. Singularity of purpose • CHES will shape the theories and practices of teaching and learning in the health professions by: • Creating new knowledge through research and informed innovation • Building capacity for scholarship and scholarly thinking through the mentorship of individuals • Fostering a culture of collaboration and scholarly thinking in health professions education.

34. The many roles of med ed units • Curriculum / course development • Curriculum / course delivery(coordination) • Curriculum / course evaluation • Faculty development • Research support structure for clinical faculty • Grants and publication Buildingcapacity for scholarship Fostering a culture of scholarly thinking

36. CHES job ad • CHES is seeking an outstanding researcher whose research interests are based in a social science discipline with applicability to health professional education. Candidates with research interests and skills in any area relevant to contemporary health professions education research are encouraged to apply, but we will prioritize those with expertise using qualitative research methodologies. • The successful candidate should complement the faculty’s expertise in education and research, and extend that expertise through team building across departments and professions and through mentorship of faculty and other junior investigators. • Special attention will be given to personal qualities that support and stimulate the growth and development of medical and health professional education research across educational programs.

37. CHES job ad • The successful candidate will work in the context of the Centre for Health Education Scholarship, a community of PhD and clinician researchers from diverse academic disciplines and backgrounds who are engaged in collaborative inquiry into dimensions of health professions education such as: assessment, skills acquisition, socialization, communication, and professional development. • The position offers extensive protected time for research, opportunities for productive research collaboration and graduate student supervision, resources for academic activities such as funds for professional meetings, and mentorship in conducting and disseminating research in the field of health professions education.

38. Once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river. The current of the river swept silently over them all -- young and old, rich and poor, good and evil -- the current going its own way, knowing only its own crystal self. • Each creature in its own manner clung tightly to the twigs and rocks of the river bottom, for clinging was their way of life, and resisting the current was what each had learned from birth. • But one creature said at last, "I am tired of clinging. Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go, and let it take me where it will. Clinging, I shall die of boredom." • The other creatures laughed and said, "Fool! Let go, and that current you worship will throw you tumbled and smashed against the rocks, and you will die quicker than boredom!" • But the one heeded them not, and taking a breath did let go, and at once was tumbled and smashed by the current across the rocks. • Yet in time, as the creature refused to cling again, the current lifted him free from the bottom, and he was bruised and hurt no more. • And the creatures downstream, to whom he was a stranger, cried, "See a miracle! A creature like ourselves, yet he flies! See the messiah, come to save us all!" • And the one carried in the current said, "I am no more messiah than you. The river delights to lift us free, if only we dare let go. Our true work is this voyage, this adventure." • But they cried the more, "Savior!" all the while clinging to the rocks, and when they looked again he was gone, and they were left alone making legends of a savior.