SGEM Xtra: Western University Resident Teaching Boot Camp

Date: November 8th, 2017

I had the pleasure of demonstrating how to teach evidence-based medicine yesterday to Western University residents. It was part of a Boot Camp put on by the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. It is an annual event designed to teach residents how to be better teachers.

The conference is officially called Boot Camp for Resident Teachers. Program Directors nominate exemplary residents with an interest in teaching. It is described as “an intensive 2-day program focusing on cross-disciplinary teaching skills including one-minute preceptors, giving and receiving feedback, orienting clerks, case-based teaching, and managing the difficult learner.” For more information about the Boot Camp you can click on this link.

You can download a PDF copy of my slides using this link. We covered five basic training components for teaching clerks and five basic training points of evidence-based medicine. The conclusion was we should try and have a NNT (Number Needed to Teach) of one to help one clerk in their medical education. The ultimate goal is for patients to get the best care based on the best evidence and cut the knowledge translation window down from over ten years to less than one year.

Five Basic Training Components for Teaching Clerks:

Stimulating and Conducive Learning Environment
Get the Learners Involved
Respect the Learner
Recognize Limitations
Encourage Skepticism

Five Basic Training Points of Evidence-Based Medicine:

Define Evidence Based Medicine (EBM)
Use P.I.C.O. to formulate your clinical question
Search for the BEST evidence
Critically APPRAISE the evidence
How to apply the evidence with Shared Decision Making (SDM)

Important Links to Information Used in the EBM Presention:

Thank you to Joan Binnendyk, Educational Developer, Postgraduate Medical Education at Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry for inviting me to participate in the resident Boot Camp.