Distinguished Educator Series

     Essentials of Clinical and Classroom Teaching and Assessment (Fall, 2005 to be repeated annually)

     Projects and Research in Medical Education (Spring, 2006 continuous)

Educators Consult Service aka "Teachers Blog" Fall, 2008 continuous)

Medical Education Fellowship (Fall, 2008 continuous)

Resident Educator And Life-long Learner (REALL) Program

The Program Directors Certificate Program (PDCP)

Learning to Teach: Teaching to Learn

Essentials of Clinical and Classroom Teaching and Assessment (Back to Top)

1. Enhance the teaching skills of interested professional staff in order to effectively influence student and resident learning outcomes and staff satisfaction.
2. Enhance the observation, feedback and assessment skills of faculty in order to provide students with consistent evidence to be used to improve performance
3. Introduce faculty to new “cutting edge” educational topics

Description: This series of workshops is designed to provide a solid foundation in teaching and assessment skills and will be offered to all CCF Faculty and Staff who provide instruction to CCLCM Medical Students and/or CCF residents and fellows. From the list of workshops, faculty can design their own program by choosing those sessions that peak their interests and meet their specific needs. All faculty members are encouraged to attend the series’ introductory half day “Foundation in Education” mini retreat, and then choose from the other regularly scheduled 1.5/3.5 hour sessions.

Format: The “Essentials Series” has both a classroom and a consultation component. This combination affords participants the opportunity to attend group skill building workshops and receive individualized feedback as they apply the skills learned to practice in their primary teaching venues.

Classroom component: The format for the seminar series will be presentation/ discussion and will be highly interactive. Participants will be mailed a short reading prior to each session. The seminar series will begin with a half-day “Foundations in Education” introduction and overview and continue with scheduled 1.5/3.5 hour seminars (October-May).

Consultation component – Each participant will be given the opportunity to be observed and receive feedback. These observations with feedback will be scheduled in the participants’ primary teaching setting.

“Essentials” Curriculum

“Foundations in Education” (half-day mini-retreat)

• Will include introductory discussions of “What We Know About How People Learn”, “Teaching and Learning Styles” and “Principles of Competency-Based Learning”

Seminar Series 15-17 (1.5/3.5 hours each) Seminars are offered each year

• See registration form for current topics

The Distinguished Educator Level 1 Certificate can be earned by completing the following requirements:

• Attend and participate in the half-day Mini-Retreat
• Attend and participate in the at least 5 of the remaining sessions
• Choose one of the theories, methods or strategies learned and write a short skill development plan
• Successfully implement the plan during a scheduled observation and receive feedback from either the director or faculty development associate

Projects and Research in Medical Education (Back to Top)

1. Apply skills learned through Essentials Series to complete a scholarly project
2. Gain expertise in a new area of education and training through review and reflection on current literature

Description: This program is designed for Professional Staff who have completed the Essentials Program series and wish to build on that experience by designing a project, scholarly literature review or educational research study. These projects or studies may be based on interest alone, or as part of the staff member’s administrative responsibilities as Course Director, Residency Director, Thread Leader, etc. Projects and studies must demonstrate scholarship in design, implementation and evaluation and generate a product worthy of presentation at an educational conference. Each experience will be mentored and should be limited in scope to a project that could be accomplished in 3-4 months. Faculty participants should be prepared to spend approximately 6-8 contact hours with their mentor (2 meetings per month) and additional time for reading and working on the project.

The following is a list of examples of the types of projects that would be appropriate for this experience.

Use a scholarly, systematic approach to develop a/an:

1. Educational research proposal (with IRB)
2. Evaluation tool (limited scope)
3. Needs Assessment
4. Instructional unit (limited scope)
5. Scholarly literature review on a topic of interest
6. Presentation at a national meeting
7. Standard setting exercise

To apply: Submit a short 2-3 page proposal that includes Title, Background, Goals, Venue, Expected Outcome and Timeline . (starting and ending dates).

The Distinguished Educator Level 2 Certificate can be earned by completing the following requirements:

1. Completing “deliverables” as outlined in the proposal
2. Attending mentor meetings
3. Presenting project to Education Governance Group.

Educators Consult Service aka “Teachers Blog” (Back to Top)

Goals:

1. To provide our busy faculty with an opportunity to provide support and advice to one another on a regular basis through an easy asynchronos electronic discussion platform.
2. To provide a forum for posting teaching and assessment questions and concerns

Rationale: The teaching faculty value the opinions of their colleagues who teach and often model their approach to teaching on that of an "admired teacher or colleague". Although there are a number of opportunities for discussing and analyzing clinical practice and research, there are few opportunites for teaching faculty to discuss "best practice" in teaching. Formal sessions that serve that purpose have been well attended, but practically occur rarely. An electronic "Educators Consult Service" or "blog" may provide the opportunity to create a virtual community of teaching scholars who are able to provide support and advice to one another on a regular basis without requiring attendance at an educational retreat. The use of "blogs" as a type of collaboration software has provided an opportunity for virtual communities to form and communicate.

To “connect” with the Cleveland Clinic Educators’ Consult Service just click on the URL below. If you have any questions that you would like posted send them to Christine Taylor, Ph.D.at taylorc2@ccf.org.

Medical Education Fellowship (Back to Top)

Goal:

1. To identify and nurture current or future educational leaders so that they may return to their departments as models of “best practice” in teaching and mentors to other faculty.
2. To provide an opportunity for faculty to advance their educational, instructional and assessment skills, pursue professional achievement in medical education, and prepare for future roles as educational leaders
3. To improve the education process and outcomes at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Description: The Medical Education Fellowship is a one-year, project-based, longitudinal experience focused on the development of excellence in the areas of teaching, advising and assessing learners. Participants will have the opportunity to examine both the theory and literature that supports “best practice” as well as participate in practical exercises designed to improve their skills. Each fellow will identify a mentor who will provide advice and guidance throughout the process and assist the fellow with their required instructional design project. Fellows will be able to meet their personal goals by designing and conducting a major education project mentored by a CMERAD staff member and “content mentor” of their choosing.

Professional staff at CCF may apply for a 1-year fellowship award (20% time) from the Education Institute’s Center for Medical Education Research and Development (CMERAD). Applicants must complete an application that is strongly endorsed by their department chair and clearly describes a fellowship project. The project can address a medical education issue related to medical students, residents, fellows and/or practicing physicians. The project may focus on one or more of the following medical education areas:

• Faculty Development
• Curriculum Development
• Educational Research
• Program, Teaching, or Trainee Evaluation
• Computer-based Education/Informatics in Medical Education

The fellow will meet initially with the fellowship director (Dr. Christine Taylor) and identified “content mentor” to agree on a specific plan and timelines for the Fellowship Project. In addition, they will meet regularly to review and evaluate progress in the project and achievement of personal goals.

The Education Institute will provide salary support at $20,000 annually. Costs associated with the proposed project, and travel and registration costs for attending one medical education meeting will also be covered by the fellowship up to $5000.00. Recipients of this award will be expected to make applications for external career or educational development awards and take leadership roles in educational development activities within CCF after the fellowship is completed.

Application: Applicants are encouraged to meet with Dr. Taylor to discuss their planned application and to obtain assistance in identifying a mentor.

Applicants should submit the following to Christine Taylor, Ph.D.:

1. Cover letter (including educational achievements and career goals)
2. CV
3. Structured, brief project proposal (maximum: 5 pages), including: title; abstract; aims/objectives; background/significance; methods; evaluation of outcomes; proposed budget; proposed mentor; plan to continue educational activities after the fellowship.
4. Letter of support from applicant’s department chair specifically stating the department’s commitment to the proposed educational program, and that the appropriate time (minimum of 20%) will be made available to the applicant to accomplish his/her fellowship goals.

Selection: Applicants will complete an interview with CMERAD Staff to discuss their project and describe their interest, background and career goals for medical education. A subcommittee of the Educational Governing Group will make recommendations for applicant selection following competitive review of submitted materials.

For Further Information: Please contact Maggie Muszka at phone (43977) or email muszkam@ccf.org

Resident Educator And Life-long Learner (REALL) Program  (Back to Top)

Resident physicians contribute substantially to medical students’ education. The Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) require that training programs provide residents the skills necessary to become effective teachers.

The Resident Educator And Life-long Learner (REALL) Program is a two-phase program. A Centralized Development and Distributed Implementation Model is the basis for the REALL Program. This model emphasizes the following points:

• Residents, in their role as teachers, share common needs across the specialties (giving feedback, teaching interns and students, giving presentations, etc), and duplication of efforts is reduced by designing "generic" modules that can be adapted by each specialty.
• Appropriate examples and special conditions for teaching are best identified by the faculty who teach in their own specialty.
• Specialty-specific faculty who are acknowledged as excellent teachers have greater credibility and impact on residents within their program.

Phase One of the REALL Program consists of the training of faculty physician trainers.

Faculty trainers are to be residency program directors, associate program directors and/or faculty selected by their program directors. Two faculty trainers from each residency program should be identified. At “Train-the-Trainer” (TTT) sessions, the TTT staff present prepared modules, suggest teaching strategies, share training materials, and assist faculty trainers in modifying materials to the specific needs of the individual programs. Sessions have been held as half-day retreats, typically in the spring, and stand-alone single modules. Information and registration for TTT retreats and sessions are sent via e-mail to program directors. Announcements are also made at GME meetings.

TTT modules that have been presented are:

Phase Two of the REALL Program is the responsibility of the faculty trainers. Each program decides which modules to use and the timing of implementation. Programs schedule and conduct the teaching modules for their residents. This approach allows for individualization of modules, and addresses teaching environments and situations that are unique to specialties. The office of faculty development and REALL committee are available to advise and assist with modifications to programs when needed. Faculty Trainers and/or program coordinators are to obtain resident attendance and resident evaluation forms for each REALL module implemented. These forms need to be sent to Maggie Muszka, REALL Program Coordinator. At the end of each calendar year, Letters of Recognition are sent to Cleveland Clinic GME administration to document residency program participation in REALL and the program’s commitment to Resident as Educator curriculum.

The REALL program is a continuous and adaptable teaching series. Modules are reviewed, changed, added or dropped based upon yearly needs assessments from faculty trainers and residents. The evaluation process of the “Train the Trainer” and the REALL Program is focused on measures of utility and relevance garnered both from the faculty trainers and their residents. Qualitative evaluation methods are utilized to determine trainers’ and residents’ satisfaction and perceived value with their respective programs.

Contact Lily Pien, MD, PhD or Christine Taylor, PhD for additional information.

REALL Committee and Teaching Faculty of “Train the Trainer”: Ronan Factora (Geriatrics), Carol Farver (Pathology), Craig Nielsen (Internal Medicine), Rita Pappas (Pediatrics), Lily Pien (Allergy), Christine Taylor (Medical Education), Elias Traboulsi (Ophthalmology)

The Program Directors Certificate Program (Back to Top)

Description: This new program (PDCP) initiated in 2009 was designed to address the basic questions Program Directors deal with every day as they recruit, educate and evaluate their residents and organize and manage the program faculty. Through interviews and focus groups here at the Clinic we have identified 5 Competency Areas for discussion and learning. Those are 1) Curriculum and Evaluation, 2) Instructional Methods and Feedback, 3) Leadership Skills, 4) Program Management Skills and 5) Navigating the ACGME.

Program Goals: By the conclusion of the program the participants will be able to:

1. Design new and revise existing curriculum using a competency-based approach to include: C-B learning objectives, assessment strategies and foster outcomes-based program evaluation.
2. Reflect on principles of clinical instruction and select instructional methods that best suite the task and learner and use an appropriate assessment method.
3. Summarize relevant health care laws, applying new knowledge to planning an accreditation cycle timeline that includes recruitment, visas and other regulations.
4. Apply principles of behavioral interviewing to conducting interviews and evaluating candidates.
5. Prepare for a CCF Internal Review as well as an RRC Site Visit including all the documentation required.
6. Discuss team behaviors and differentiate the affect on team performance.
7. Identify and critique the nature of conflict in organizations and analyze and apply tools to resolve organizational conflict.

Participants: All interested Program Directors and Associate Program Directors are welcome to apply. Class space will be limited to 20 participants per year.

Format: All classes will be interactive with participants applying principles learned to real residency education problems. A case-based approach will be used to illustrate many of the central concepts and skills.

Certificate: Participants who attend 7/8 sessions and complete a mentored project will be eligible to receive a Cleveland Clinic Program Directors Certificate

Learning to Teach: Teaching to Learn  (Back to Top)

Professor: Christine Taylor, PhD

A six-week (2 hours per week) Course

Participants who complete the course requirements (attendance, participation, assignments and teaching observation) will be eligible for the Cleveland Clinic Graduate Teachers’ Certificate.

Description: This course is designed to examine both the learning and teaching process in medical education. In the first half of the course, the participants will investigate the current literature on how people learn and discuss practical approaches for learning more effectively in different settings. The second part of the course will be devoted to investigating teaching methods and practical approaches to teaching in different clinical and didactic settings.

The course will be taught using a tutorial approach. In this approach, the students will be assigned reading and will come prepared to discuss the readings and to apply the concepts to problems or issues in teaching. When appropriate, students will have the opportunity to practice new skills and receive feedback.

Course Content

• Classes 1, 2, 3 - The “learner side of the equation” - What we know about “how people learn”, learning styles, reflection and self-regulation, methods for effective learning, and systems for managing knowledge
• Classes 4, 5, 6 - The “teacher side of the equation” – Armed with new knowledge about how people learn, the participants will explore theories of instruction, teaching styles and discuss four basic clinical teaching venues including: Teaching in the Ambulatory Setting, Teaching at the Bedside, The Focused “Chalk Talk”, Small Group Teaching using Cases and Teaching through feedback.

Mini-Project 1 – Based on what you’ve learned about the learning and teaching process, the participant will observe and critique a teaching session using a standardized teaching observation instrument.

Observation – All participants will be offered the opportunity to be observed in the teaching venue of their choice and receive feedback.