Bioscience education 2030 and beyond: Where will technology take the curriculum?

This brief review explores the ever-increasing role that technological affordances may play in the 21C biochemistry and molecular biology curriculum. We consider the need to develop digital and creative fluencies in our students and the importance of creativity and visualization in learning science. The potential of virtual reality (VR) platforms to complement these goals are discussed with a number of examples. Finally, we look into the future where to see how VR might fit into a future curriculum.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training: An Assessment of Interns' Needs and Barriers to Training

Background and objective The use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is generally on the rise worldwide. However, as the epidemiology of diseases and the approach to their management vary internationally, POCUS may not be universally applicable. The resources available for medical education are generally limited. Thus, when considering the development of a training program during the internship year, we sought to determine interns' perceptions of the applicability of POCUS to clinical practice, the current skill gaps, and barriers to training. Methods  A validated questionnaire was distributed to the interns of the College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh to determine their proficiency in POCUS, and their opinions on its applicability on a 5-point Likert scale. Each skill gap was calculated by subtracting self-reported proficiency in POCUS from its perceived applicability. Results Of the 300 total interns (male: 200, female: 100), 229 participated [response rate: 76%; male: 136 (68%), female: 93 (93%)]. The use of POCUS to detect abdominal free fluid was perceived to be the most applicable use (mean: 3.9 ±1.1); scanning for consolidation was the least applicable (mean: 3.0 ±1.2). Knowledge and proficiency among the sample were generally poor. The skill gap was greatest for the assessment of inferior vena cava collapsibility (mean: 1.4 ±1.3) and least for the identification of pneumothorax (mean: 0.5 ±1.5). Although three-quarters of the participants (170) agreed that POCUS was an essential skill, 36 (16%) stated that they had no interest in it, and nearly half (101) believed that they did not have time to learn POCUS. Conclusions  While POCUS is applicable to medical interns in Saudi Arabia, significant skill gaps exist. However, our sample's perception of the applicability of POCUS was less favorable than that of internal medicine (IM) residents in Canada. Thus, initiating POCUS training during the internship year may yield suboptimal results. Interns must prioritize medical licensing examinations and applications for residency training. Indeed, many interns believe that they do not have enough time to learn POCUS. Thus, prioritizing the training of residents in POCUS may be a more effective use of the finite resources available for medical education.

A Patient Experience Course Syllabus: Integrating Service Sciences Research to Enhance Health-Care Delivery

We present here a syllabus for teaching patient experience that draws on service sciences to address the current state of patient experience. The syllabus was the result of an ongoing collaboration between educators at the Hotel College and the School of Medicine at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. The syllabus was developed after a thorough literature review in the field of services marketing, patient experience, hospitality marketing, management and leadership, health-care administration, and health-care communication and after consultation with subject matter experts. We believe that the syllabus provides an action plan for universities and hospitals to introduce and teach the topic of hospitality and patient experience as part of the medical and nursing school curriculum. The syllabus can also be adapted for teaching in executive education programs.

Stepwise Simulation Course Design Model: Survey Results from 16 Centers

Background and Objectives

In 2016 we published a stepwise evidence-based model (subsequently named SimSteps) for curriculum development (CD) of simulation-based courses. The current study aimed to assess the uses, user friendliness, and perceived effectiveness of this model and its worksheet and to obtain suggestions for improvement.

Methods

We sent e-mail invitations for a 14-question web-based survey to 13 health professionals who requested the supplemental worksheet of the stepwise model and 11 authors who cited the model's publication in 14 articles. The survey included quantitative and qualitative items.

Results

Sixteen (67%) from seven countries and six professions responded. Ten (63%) used the model: six for both course and faculty development, three for course development only, and one for faculty development only. Both users and nonusers found the model and worksheet applicable and user friendly and agreed that they guided use of a systematic, comprehensive approach to CD. 94% (15 of 16) agreed that they helped CDers integrate educational effectiveness criteria, develop more objective learners' assessment tools, and enhance validity for their courses. Sixty-nine percent (11 of 16) agreed that model and its worksheet helped CDers include nontechnical skills in courses. The highest reported role in enhancing program evaluation results was in the gain of knowledge (five of eight, 63%) and least was clinical outcomes (two of eight, 25%). All respondents would recommend the model and worksheet to a colleague.

Conclusion

Respondents find the stepwise model and its worksheet user friendly and helpful in developing simulation curricula of high educational standards. Future studies should include larger sample size, objective measures of impact, and longer-term follow-up.

New-graduate physiotherapists' perceptions of their preparedness for rural practice

OBJECTIVE

Providing health care in a rural or remote setting requires physiotherapists to adapt to a number of unique challenges. New-graduates working in rural or remote settings must respond to these challenges in addition to those of being a novice practitioner. This study investigated the perceived preparedness of new-graduate physiotherapists for work in rural or remote settings.

DESIGN

A qualitative general inductive approach.

SETTING

Rural and remote Queensland.

PARTICIPANTS

New-graduate physiotherapists   working in rural or remote locations were contacted via a snowballing recruitment strategy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Semi-structured interviews.

RESULTS

Four key themes emerged from the data: (a) adjusting to rural life, (b) embracing opportunities, (c) stepping up to the plate and (d) preparing through authentic experiences.

CONCLUSION

New-graduate physiotherapists perceived rural and remote practice to be a challenging but valuable opportunity with many social and professional rewards. The complex clinical demands and unique cultural factors inherent in rural and remote locations were experienced as additional obstacles to the transition from student to clinician. New-graduate physiotherapists were satisfied that their entry-level training provided the necessary skills required to practise rurally and remotely; however, they expressed 'shock' at the rapid adaptations needed to provide effective service in these settings. New-graduates are confident that exposure to authentic rural and remote clinical practice during their training was integral to their preparedness.

Clinical Case Discussions - a novel, supervised peer-teaching format to promote clinical reasoning in medical students

Background: Clinical reasoning (CR) is a clinical core competence for medical students to acquire. While the necessity for CR teaching has been recognized since the early 20^th century, to this day no consensus on how to best educate students in CR exists. Hence, few universities have incorporated dedicated CR teaching formats into their medical curriculum. We propose a novel case-based, peer-taught and physician-supervised collaborative learning format, dubbed "Clinical Case Discussions" (CCDs) to foster CR in medical students. Project description: We present the curricular concept of CCDs and its development according to a six-step approach (problem identification and general needs assessment; targeted needs assessment; goals and objectives; educational strategies; implementation; evaluation and feedback). Our goal is to strengthen the physician roles (CanMEDS/NKLM) and CR competence of medical students. CCDs are offered at our institution as an elective course and students work on real-life, complex medical cases through a structured approach. Over the course of five years we evaluated various aspects of the course and trained student teachers to optimize our course concept according to the feedback of our participants. We also obtained intro and exit self-assessments of CR competence using an established CR questionnaire. Results: We found an unmet need for CR teaching, as medical students in their clinical years view CR as highly important for later practice, but only 50% have ever heard of CR within the curriculum. Acceptance of CCDs was consistently high with over 85% of participants strongly agreeing that they would re-participate in the course and recommend it to a friend. Additionally, we observed significant improvements in CR self-assessments of participants. Conclusion: CCDs are a feasible teaching format to improve students' CR competence, have a high acceptance and involve students in medical education through peer-teaching.

The NHGRI Short Course in Genomics: energizing genetics and genomics education in classrooms through direct engagement between educators and scientists

Purpose:

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognizes an urgent need for educator resources on cutting-edge scientific topics due to increased public interest in genetics and genomics. We developed a Short Course in Genomics (“Short Course”) to inspire new teaching materials through collaborative course development sessions and lectures, to expand access to cutting-edge scientific information, and to provide a framework to consider when crafting new coursework related to scientific education.

Methods:

We compared publicly available participant data from 2015 to 2019 to data from the National Center for Education Statistics to assess our progress in serving diverse educator and student populations. We also evaluated course agendas and interviewed participants and instructors.

Results:

Middle School, High School, Community College, and Tribal College course attendees from the last five years were more likely to teach students from diverse communities underrepresented in STEM. Both attendees and Short Course instructors emphasized the importance of bidirectional learning through interactive curriculum development.

Conclusions:

This course has the potential to facilitate the engagement of educators and students at all levels, recruit and maintain a diverse STEM workforce, and improve genomic literacy and future health decision-making.

Development of an OIE Harmonized Day 1 Competency-Based Veterinary School Curriculum in Ethiopia: A Partnership Model for Curriculum Evaluation and Implementation

The University of Gondar College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (UoG-CVMASc) and the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine (OSU-CVM) developed an objective methodology to assess the curriculum of veterinary institutions and implement changes to create a curriculum that is harmonized with OIE standards while also covering the needs and realities of Gondar and Ethiopia. The process, developed under the sponsorship of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Veterinary Education Twinning Programme, is outlined in this article with the hope that it can be applied by other countries wishing to improve national veterinary services (VS) through the improvement of their academic programs. The plan created by the UoG-OSU Twinning team consisted of an in-depth curriculum assessment and development process, which entailed three consecutive stages. Stage 1 (Curriculum Assessment) included the design and development of an Evaluation Tool for OIE Day 1 Graduating Veterinarian Competencies in recent graduates, and the mapping and evaluation of the current UoG-CVMASc curriculum based on the OIE Veterinary Education Core Curriculum. Stage 2 (Curriculum Development) consisted of the identification and prioritization of possible solutions to address identified curriculum gaps as well as the development of an action plan to revise and update the curriculum. Finally, Stage 3 (Curriculum Implementation) focused on the process to launch the new curriculum. In September 2017, 53 first-year students started the professional program at the UoG-CVMASc as the first cohort to be accepted into the newly developed OIE Harmonized Curriculum, the first of its kind in Africa.

Telemedicine: The art of innovative technology in family medicine

Technology in medicine has been rapidly evolving over the past decade, greatly improving the quality and types of services providers can offer to patients. Physicians in training are eager to embrace these novel innovations, and medical school and residency educators strive to offer learning experiences of a high standard that are relevant. One example of an emerging healthcare innovation is telemedicine, which permits the provision of medical care to patients away from clinics and hospitals, bringing patient-centered care to the patient. It has proven to be cost-effective, improve health outcomes, and enhance patient satisfaction. This article describes the development and structure of our family medicine residency program's telemedicine curriculum, first created in 2016 in response to the growing demand for this type of healthcare delivery model. There is discussion about the history of telemedicine, and about what contributed to its growth. A timeline of the steps taken to create our new telemedicine residency curriculum is reviewed, along with the key components that contributed to its success. The Lessons Learned section provides other educators insight into the strengths and opportunities revealed during the creation of the curriculum, and guidance on how the curriculum could be further enhanced.

An Antimicrobial Stewardship Curriculum to Incorporate in the South African Bachelor of Pharmacy Degree Program

Objective. To develop an antimicrobial stewardship curriculum that is suitable for incorporation in the undergraduate pharmacy degree programs offered by South African schools of pharmacy. Methods. A mixed methods approach was employed involving four consecutive study phases: content analysis, academic review, expert consultation, and curriculum development. The curriculum development phase involved collation of the findings of the prior three study phases. Results. The final proposed antimicrobial stewardship curriculum included recommendations for: level of incorporation of the curriculum in the undergraduate degree program, minimum contact hours, pedagogical techniques, and assessment methods. The curriculum content was split into four units: pharmacology for antimicrobial stewardship, microbiology for antimicrobial stewardship, antimicrobial stewardship in practice, and hospital antimicrobial stewardship. Conclusion. An antimicrobial stewardship curriculum that highlights key findings in relation to the role of the pharmacist in antimicrobial stewardship was developed. This was the first such study conducted in South Africa.

Geriatric Dentistry Curriculum in Six Continents

The purpose of this study was to examine the presence of geriatric dentistry (GD) in the curricula of worldwide dental schools, and to identify and compare their curriculum content. Eighty-three dental schools (16.4% response rate), from 24 countries, in six continents, completed a 25-item online questionnaire, to assess their GD curriculum, and were included in the study. GD was a mandatory course in 56 dental schools (67.5%), an independent subject in 14 schools (16.9%), and was taught as a series of lectures in 31 schools (37.4%). Clinically, 56 dental schools (67.5%) had some form of mandatory education in GD. The type of school, location and method of presentation were not associated with greater interest in expanding their curriculum in GD (p = 0.256, p = 0.276, and p = 0.919, respectively, using the Chi-square test). We found GD is a curriculum requirement in most of the surveyed dental schools and is becoming more common among dental school curricula. This survey is the first study to present data from dental schools from all continents, using a web-based survey which is a resourceful, less-expensive tool to gather data.

Use of simulation as a needs assessment to develop a focused team leader training curriculum for resuscitation teams

Background

Many inpatients experience cardiac arrest and mortality in this population is extremely high. Simulation is frequently used to train code teams with the goal of improving these outcomes. A key step in designing such a training curriculum is to perform a needs assessment. We report on the effectiveness of a simulation-based training program for residents designed using unannounced in-situ simulation cardiac arrest data as a needs assessment.

Methods

In order to develop the curriculum for training, a needs assessment was done using in-situ simulation. Prior to instruction, residents were assessed in their ability to lead a simulated resuscitation using a standardized checklist. During the intervention phase, residents participated in didactic and team training. The didactic training consisted of pharmacology review, ACLS update and TeamSTEPPS training. Residents took turns as code team leader in three simulation sessions. Rapid cycle deliberate practice (RCDP) was employed as part of simulation sessions. All residents returned, for post-intervention assessment. Mean pre-post test scores were analyzed to determine if there was a significant difference.

Results

Twenty-seven residents participated. Mean pre-training assessment score was 47.6 (95% CI 37.5-57.9). The mean post-training assessment score was 84.4 (95% CI 79.0-89.5). The mean time to defibrillation after pads were placed in scenario with shockable rhythm decreased from 102.2 seconds (95% CI 74.0-130.5) to 56.3 (95% CI 32.7-79.8).

Conclusion

Using unannounced in-situ cardiac arrest simulations as a needs assessment, a simulation-based training program was developed that significantly improved resident performance as team leader. Future work is needed to determine if this improvement translates into patient benefits and is sustainable. However, in-situ simulation is a promising tool for curriculum development.

Pilot study implementing mixed media and animation into the Preclinical Dental Anesthesia Course

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

During 2019, the "perfect intersection" of collaboration and innovative education using live video merged with animation was launched in the preclinical local anesthesia curriculum at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. This article includes the audible video created and describes the software used to blend dynamic animation for content delivery. This mixed-media approach merges animation with live video resulting with innovative teaching and student learning. Further, outcomes are discussed from voluntary postassessment surveys regarding how students perceived this innovation when introduced into preclinical local anesthesia curriculum. Within the advancements for the preclinical local anesthesia curriculum, development of short videos is introduced to students reviewing armamentarium and injection delivery to address patients' pain management.

DESIGN

Within the advancements for this preclinical local anesthesia curriculum, short video development was introduced to students through online assessments. Afterward, students were given a voluntary postassessment survey. The 2017 results served as the genesis for the 2019 pilot study implementing mixed media and animation into assessments.

RESULTS/CONCLUSION

Results determined 78.6% agreed they would like to see more assessments made with integrated animation and mixed media. Additionally, 77% agreed they would like to see other courses use mixed media assessments. The pilot study implementing mixed media and animation into the preclinical dental anesthesia course was a unique addition to the curriculum engaging students for assessments.

Development, implementation, and early results of a 4-year interprofessional education curriculum

This article seeks to outline the implementation of a longitudinal interprofessional education (IPE) program in the predoctoral curriculum at a U.S. dental school. The challenges of implementing the curriculum in a complex environment are reviewed, and an overview of the 4-year curriculum is offered, including exposure, immersion, and clinical readiness components. Results of developmental evaluations are reviewed. Respondents to surveys regarding the capstone case conference experiences overwhelmingly suggest the conferences were educationally rewarding as well as enriching for each of the health professions represented. While response was limited, alumni surveys also indicate satisfaction with the IPE experience. A discussion of challenges and suggestions regarding successful implementation and expansion of IPE programs from didactic to clinical settings are also included.

Developing and implementing a faculty development curriculum for Japanese family medicine residency faculty

BACKGROUND

Despite the increase in family medicine residency in Japan, there are only a few structured faculty development (FD) programs. The objective of this project was to construct a consensus on core competencies of faculty to develop a faculty development curriculum in a Japanese family medicine context.

METHODS

In 2015, a private FD initiative in the Mie University initiated a curriculum development in collaboration with FD fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. A literature review and subsequent Delphi process were conducted for core competency development. Based on the core competency list, we designed and implemented a 2-year part-time FD curriculum from 2016. A course evaluation using pre-post confidence level was held during March 2017.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight objectives were defined in five core domains: 1) care management/family medicine principle, 2) leadership/professional development, 3) administrative/management, 4) teaching, and 5) research/scholarly activity. A pre-post survey at the end of an academic year revealed a significant increase in learner confidence for "care management/family medicine principle" (P = .03), "teaching" (P < .01), and "research/scholarly activity" (P < .01), as well as the total score (P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS

A family medicine FD curriculum based on a faculty core competency list was developed by consensus in a Japanese family medicine context. The core competency was strongly context-oriented, and the relevance of the FD topics and opportunities to apply to the participants' current positions may be inevitable for learner engagement. Further curriculum refinements will be required to see whether the curriculum could be used for faculty development in other family medicine residencies.

Core Curricular Priorities in the Care of Children With Medical Complexity: A North American Modified Delphi Study

BACKGROUND

Previous studies of pediatric residents have identified educational gaps in caring for children with medical complexity. Training opportunities in complex care vary across residency programs. Defining core curricular topics in complex care is a priority in medical education.

OBJECTIVE

To identify core topics to include in a standard complex care curriculum for pediatric residents.

METHODS

An initial topic list was generated through literature review and proceedings of national meetings. Expert panelists were identified based on experience in complex care and residency education. A modified Delphi method was used to determine group consensus by asking participants to rate the importance of complex care curricular topics for pediatric residents. Consensus was defined as >70% of experts identifying a topic as essential. There was a predetermined maximum of 3 iterative, electronic survey rounds, with feedback provided to participants between each round.

RESULTS

Sixteen experts participated. Response rate was 100% for all rounds. Experts were from the United States (44%) and Canada (56%); most were affiliated with an academic medical center (96%) involved in both inpatient and outpatient care (69%). Eleven topics were identified as essential across 3 rounds: feeding difficulties, pain/irritability, transition, feeding tube management, difficult discussions, team management/care coordination, dysmotility, aspiration, safety/emergency planning, neuromuscular/skeletal issues, and advocacy. Essential topics were organized according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

CONCLUSIONS

Eleven curricular priorities in complex care were identified across multiple domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework, serving as a guide for standardized curriculum development for future pediatricians.

Developing, Integrating, and Implementing Evidence-Informed Practice Curricula Throughout a Chinese Medicine Degree Program

Objectives: To train faculty and develop curricula in evidence-informed practice (EIP) within a Chinese medicine degree program.

Setting: Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (New York).

Design: Faculty EIP training was undertaken through utilization of online EIP modules, and development and completion of a 3-credit (45 h) online Foundations of EIP course. This was supplemented by faculty meetings and one-on-one support from department chairs. Curriculum development was undertaken by an EIP Curriculum Committee. The committee followed a modified Delphi process to develop EIP course learning outcomes (CLOs), and to make changes to the College's clinic policies and procedures. EIP assignments were developed for each course in accordance with the CLO.

Results: Ninety-one percent of the faculty and 97% of clinical supervisors received formal EIP training. Thirty-five percent of all didactic faculty, 38% of faculty teaching courses with EIP incorporated, and 30% of clinical supervisors completed 10 or more h of EIP training during this project. Faculty also received informal EIP training through participation in department and general faculty meetings. Seventy-three percent of the Master's degree curriculum, inclusive of 40 didactic courses and fifteen 60-h clinic shifts, were modified to incorporate EIP. EIP CLOs and corresponding assignments were developed. Clinic intake forms were modified to facilitate undertaking EIP in the College clinic. Issues related to how EIP is defined in conjunction with the nature of available scientific research in Chinese medicine required discussion and resolution.

Conclusions: Training faculty and developing curricula in EIP within Chinese medicine colleges has unique challenges that must be factored into the strategies and processes. Factors that contributed to the success of this project were having faculty drive the process, integrating EIP content within existing curricula, gradual exposure, identifying champions, relating EIP to practice building, and openly discussing opposing perspectives.

Transgender Health Care Curriculum Development: A Dual-Site Medical School Campus Pilot

Purpose: Lack of physician training contributes to health care disparities for transgender people. The limited generalizability and feasibility of published training approaches lessen their utility in lowering barriers for other institutions to adopt similar training. Methods: All first-year medical students at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine (MCASOM) in Minnesota and Arizona received a 1-h lecture introducing key concepts related to transgender people and their health disparities. Students completed a 21-question survey before and after the lecture, and 1 year later. Chi-square likelihood coefficients were used to compare responses between the three time points. Results: Eighty-six of 100 students answered the prelecture survey (86% response rate); 70 the postlecture survey; and 44 the 1-year follow-up survey. Twenty-five (29%) students had prior education in any lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT+) health disparities, but this did not correlate with more favorable attitudes or knowledge. LGBT+ students and those with close LGBT+ friends had the most favorable attitudes and knowledge. The proportion of students comfortable with caring for transgender people changed significantly (76% self-reported very comfortable prelecture vs. 91% postlecture, p=0.0073) and remained at 89% 1 year later. The proportion of students comfortable with a transgender patient scenario significantly increased (67% self-reported very comfortable prelecture vs. 87% postlecture, p=0.032) even when surveyed 1 year later (95% very comfortable, p<0.0001). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that a 1-h lecture can increase the proportion of medical students who demonstrate positive attitudes and correct knowledge on transgender patient care for at least a year, and how a survey can gather essential information on student learning needs to guide training development.

An Asynchronous Curriculum for Teaching Practical Interpretation Skills of Clinical Images to Residents in Emergency Medicine

BACKGROUND

Interpretation of radiologic images is a critical skill for resident physicians in emergency medicine (EM), however, few training programs offer formal training in this realm. Time and money also need to be considered when adding to the curriculum of trainees.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine the utilization and benefit of an asynchronous curriculum in the interpretation of diagnostic imaging.

METHODS

Radiologic images were obtained from emergency department patients and presented to the trainees on a weekly basis from April to December 2017; discussion questions regarding the images were posed, all via the online workplace platform Slack. Trainees were surveyed prior to and 8 months after initiation of the curriculum to ascertain their confidence with radiologic image interpretation and their use of Slack.

RESULTS

Of the 36 potential resident physician participants in this study, 31 (86%) completed the pre-intervention survey and 28 (78%) completed the post-intervention survey. The curriculum was found to be beneficial to all respondents (100%) and increased their confidence with image interpretation from 2.93 ± 0.89 pre-intervention (5-point Likert scale) to 3.46 ± 0.83 post-intervention (p < 0.02). Seventy-five percent noted that they viewed the material "often" or "anytime new material was posted."

CONCLUSIONS

Use of an asynchronous curriculum in image interpretation increased the confidence of trainees and was well-utilized. The implications of this are far-reaching, given that a similar intervention could be undertaken for any topic in any specialty in medicine, and with no cost of money or didactic time.

Evaluation of Disaster Medicine Preparedness among Healthcare Profession Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Pakistan

Background: Disasters are devastating incidents, especially when occurring suddenly and causing damage, great loss of life, or suffering. Disasters can affect health and the social and economic development of a nation. The article analyzes the knowledge (K), attitude (A), and readiness to practice (rP) of healthcare professional students in universities in Pakistan. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study using a pretested and validated self-administered disaster medicine and preparedness questionnaire. The study recruited 310 students. Responses were scored and categorized as high (75th quartile), moderate (75-25th quartiles), and low (25th quartile). Independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and regression analyses were performed at an alpha level of 0.05. Results: The study found that most of the students had moderate knowledge, attitude, readiness to practice, and total KArP scores. All K, A, and rP scores were significantly correlated with overall KArP scores. Knowledge and attitude factors were significant predictors of readiness to practice. Conclusions: We strongly believe that educators and health policymakers should build a strong curriculum in disaster medicine management and preparedness to prepare competent future healthcare professionals for the nation.

Pallium Canada's Curriculum Development Model: A Framework to Support Large-Scale Courseware Development and Deployment

The need to improve access to palliative care across multiple settings and disease groups has been identified. This requires equipping health care professionals from many different professions, including physicians and nurses, among others, with basic palliative care competencies to provide a palliative care approach. Pallium Canada's Curriculum Development Framework supports the development, deployment, and dissemination, on a large scale, of multiple courses targeting health care professionals across multiple settings of care and disease groups. The Framework is made up of eight phases: (1) Concept, (2) Decision, (3) Curriculum Planning, (4) Prototype Development, (5) Piloting, (6) Dissemination, (7) Language and Cultural Adaptation, and (8) Ongoing Maintenance and Updates. Several of these phases include iterative cyclical activities. The framework allows multiple courses to be developed simultaneously, staggered in a production line with each phase and their corresponding activities requiring different levels of resources and stakeholder engagement. The framework has allowed Pallium Canada to develop, launch, and maintain numerous versions of its Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care (LEAP) courses concurrently. It leverages existing LEAP courses and curriculum materials to produce new LEAP courses, allowing significant efficiencies and maximizing output. This article describes the framework and its various activities, which we believe could be very useful for other jurisdictions undertaking the work of developing education programs to spread the palliative care approach across multiple settings, specialties, and disease groups.

Course-based prefaculty training program introduces instructional methods, increases instructor self-efficacy, and promotes professional development

Graduate student and postdoctoral teaching assistants receive highly variable preparation for instructional methods because providing such training is often expensive. Therefore, we conducted an intensive, pedagogical boot camp followed by classroom observations, structured professional development discussions about leveraging the experience on the job market, individual exit interviews, and a letter of recommendation. Our data show the participants implemented new pedagogical techniques in their classrooms, showed increased self-efficacy, and reported appreciation for the training experience. Using a clustering analysis of instructional methods, most participants' classrooms were characterized as peer-led collaborative work as opposed to more traditional instructor-led pedagogies. We believe that this low-cost, prefaculty training leads to demonstrable short-term outcomes and is a viable option for institutions with limited resources or personnel.

Child and adolescent psychiatry training curriculum: a global trainee's perspective

This article is a summary of perspectives on training curricula from child and adolescent psychiatry trainees globally. We aimed to identify the relative strengths, weaknesses and gaps in learning needs from a trainee's perspective. The 20 early-career child psychiatrists who contributed are from 16 countries and represent all the five continents. We could identify some global challenges as well as local/regional challenges that need to be addressed to develop competent child psychiatrists.