Informing the teaching process: lessons from the educational sciences

Educational Scholarship and Technology: Resources for a Changing Undergraduate Medical Education Curriculum

Returning to the original emphasis of higher education, universities have increasingly recognized the value and scholarship of teaching, and medical schools have been part of this educational scholarship movement. At the same time, the preferred learning styles of a new generation of medical students and advancements in technology have driven a need to incorporate technology into psychiatry undergraduate medical education (UGME). Educators need to understand how to find, access, and utilize such educational technology. This article provides a brief historical context for the return to education as scholarship, along with a discussion of some of the advantages to this approach, as well as several recent examples. Next, the educational needs of the current generation of medical students, particularly their preference to have technology incorporated into their education, will be discussed. Following this, we briefly review the educational scholarship of two newer approaches to psychiatry UGME that incorporate technology. We also offer the reader some resources for accessing up-to-date educational scholarship for psychiatry UGME, many of which take advantage of technology themselves. We conclude by discussing the need for promotion of educational scholarship.

Adult Education Program in Palliative Care for Nursing Facility Physicians: Design and Pilot Test

Nursing facilities (NF) are important sites for the care of dying patients. Curricula likely to improve end-of-life care are needed for NF physicians. To this end, a model medical school palliative care curriculum was modified for experienced NF physicians. Adult learning techniques were emphasized, as well as interactions likely to change physician behavior. Inclusion of the opinion leader, audit with feedback, use of consensus guidelines, and other techniques for changing physician behavior were included. Written materials to supplement the course were identified. This new program was pilot tested and improved. An initial audit of physician practices and survey of the NF staff, a half-day adult educational session, and follow-up with the NF medical director is suggested. This intervention should be tested to determine if it improves patient end-of-life care outcomes in this setting.