Poster3-03: PROGRAM ASSESSMENT: TAKING STOCK OF THE CURRENT STATE OF CANADIAN UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION IN PROCEDURAL SKILLS CURRICULA
Frank Battaglia, MD, Candidate1, Meghan Mcconnell1, Christopher Ramnanan1, Celine Sayed, BSc1, Nikhil Rastogi2; 1University of Ottawa, 2The Ottawa Hospital
BACKGROUND: The objectives of the study were: (i) to characterize procedural skills education currently employed in pre-clerkship and clerkship curricula; (ii) to determine what skills physician-educators think medical students should know upon graduation; and (iii) to identify physician-educator perceptions regarding the development of pre-clerkship procedural curriculum.
METHODS: A web-based survey was distributed to 201 clinician-educators across Canada’s 17 medical schools. Respondents were directed to an individualized survey based on their self-identified, roles at their institution. Respondents were asked demographic questions, what procedural skills are being taught and in what setting at their institution, and their opinions on the value of a pre-clerkship procedural curriculum.
RESULTS: From the 17 school’s surveyed, 8 schools responded “yes” that they had a clerkship procedural curriculum. For a pre-clerkship procedural curriculum, only 4 schools responded “yes”. The top 5 procedurals skills identified that medical students should know upon graduation, in order, are: IV Access, Airway Management/Ventilator Management, Local anesthesia/field block, Casting, Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery. Clinician-educators strongly supported a pre-clerkship procedural curriculum (median=4.00/5.00, mode=5.00/5.00), and they believed it would decrease anxiety (median=4.00/5.00), increase confidence (median=4.00/5.00), and increase technical ability (median=3.00/5.00) in incoming clerks.
CONCLUSIONS: Across Canada, the state of UGME procedural skills education is inconsistent. With the identification of the Top 10 procedural skills medical students should know upon graduation, the learning objectives of a formal curriculum can be developed. With overwhelming support from both medical students and physician-educators alike, a formal pre-clerkship procedural curriculum is poised to redefine the landscape of procedural care for a whole new generation of physicians.