GPET 2008

GPET Abstracts Updates

AGPT Updates Thursday 2 August 2008 11:00am REINFORCING AND PROMOTING SELF-DIRECTION IN LEARNING FOR FUTURE GENERAL PRACTICE THROUGH GPRIME Dr Rod Wellard, Dr James Brown Gippsland Education and Training for General Practice Ltd (getGP) An underlying foundation of GP training is self-directed learning as an essential attribute of life-long learning. It is therefore an important goal for the training of future GPs.  A systematic approach to self-directed learning doesn’t just happen: it needs to be promoted and reinforced through training program procedures and learning resources.  GPRime is an on-line learning platform that is designed to promote and reinforce self-directed learning.  Its features include:  (a) learning needs analysis tools matched against the curricula of the RACGP ad ACRRM; (b) learning planning tools specifically designed for the context of GP training; (c) easy access by registrars, medical educators and supervisors to information on progressive completion of training requirements; (d) learning resources and links to relevant information to address needs; and (e) a range of administrative tools and reporting methods for reminding and reinforcing completion requirements.  Critical to the success of self-directed learning are the regular review and reporting activities built into the GPRime on-line learning system.  To obtain full advantage of GPRime in promoting self-directed learning, medical educators and supervisors need to obtain basic skills in navigating GPRime.  They also need to be able to use the learning needs analysis tools to provide advice to registrars about their learning needs and possible resources.   This professional development workshop will enable participants to acquire knowledge and skills and an understanding of how to utilise GPRime as a platform for promoting self-directed learning and therefore contributing to the knowledge and skills of future GPs. THE AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF RURAL AND REMOTE MEDICINE STAMPS EXAM: DELIVERING SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT OUT TO THE BUSH BY VIDEOCONFERENCE A/Professor Stephen Margolis1, Professor Tim Wilkinson 2, A/Professor Janie Smith 3, A/Professor Tarun Sen Gupta 4, Professor David Prideaux 5 1Australian College Of Rural And Remote Medicine, 2Christchurch School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Otago University, New Zealand, 3Rural Health Education Development (RhED) Consulting, NSW, Australia, 4School of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Australia, 5School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia Background:    The assessment blueprint of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine postgraduate curriculum highlights the need to assess clinical reasoning, while remaining mindful of the negative impact on the rural workforce of having candidates across Australia simultaneously leaving their workplace to travel to a central examination centre. This lead to the development of the Structured Assessment Using Multiple Patient Scenarios by Video Conferencing (StAMPS). Methods:          We describe the development, reliability, feasibility, validity, educational impact and outcomes to date of this eight-station assessment tool, which examines issues relating to patient diagnosis and / or management.  Each candidate remains located in their rural location but is examined in turn by eight examiners who are located at a central site.  Reliability was evaluated using generalisability theory, while validity and educational impact through qualitative methods. Results:            In the development trials 14 candidates were assessed on 82 scenarios with a reliability of G=0.76.  There was a reasonable correlation with level of candidate expertise (rho=0.57).  Qualitative comments confirmed relevance and acceptability of the assessment tool. During the presentation the outcomes of the May 2008 exam will also be considered. Conclusion:     Unlike many traditional examination formats, StAMPS reflects both the content and process of rural and remote practice including assessing resourcefulness and flexibility in thinking.  The reliability and feasibility of this type of assessment has implications for people running any distance based course. MAPPING THE RACGP CURRICULUM TO MEET REGISTRARS' NEEDS Associate Professor Lyn Clearihan1,2 1Victorian Metropolitan Alliance, 2 Monash University This presentation outlines the process and methodology used by the Victorian Metropolitan Alliance to re-define and re-focus its teaching syllabus. The purpose of this was to be responsive to registrar needs while addressing the core learning objectives, as laid out in the revised RACGP curriculum. The methodology used drew on educational theory expressed through the process of curriculum mapping, while the process sought a balance between the need for clear framework development and inclusive in decision- making.   COMBINED ELECTRONIC CURRICULUM MATRIX – USE AND USEFULNESS FOR INDIVIDUAL PLAN FOR LEARNING Dr Hung Nguyen, Mr Lex Lucus, Dr Christine Lesnikowski Northern Territory General Practice Education (NTGPE) Context Training in the NT is unique and challenging.  The NT offers significant exposure to Indigenous health and rural and remote medicine.  RACGP and ACRRM curricula have recently been revised and regional training providers (RTPs) need to address curriculum delivery using these documents as guides.  NTGPE, as well as other RTPs, have developed curriculum maps.  NTGPE also developed an NT specific curriculum to attend to local needs called the NTGPE Rolling Curriculum.  There are potentially three uses of the curriculum map:    1. To plan educational activities (prospective)    2. To monitor curricula has been delivered (retrospective), and    3. To be used as a tool for individual learning plan development. ACRRM and NTGPE have been working towards incorporating both ACRRM and RACGP curriculum online in a matrix format.  This matrix autopoulates when an educational activity is completed.  This tool is extremely useful for all GPs in monitoring and planning their learning needs.  From a GP registrar's perspective it enables them to best assess their knowledge, skills and attitudes in GP training. Objectives To describe NTGPE prism curriculum map and its use in planning educational activies (prospective) and monitoring curricula delivery (retrospective). To describe the NTGPE Rolling Curriculum and its development to ensure local needs are met. To demonstrate ACRRM RRMEO platform curriculum matrix tool Key messages Curriculum mapping is more effective when individual learners are able to visualise their curriculum matrix in either College’s curriculum statements.  This is appropriate and efficiently performed by using available online tools. Conclusions Curriculum maps need to be used and is useful for program designers, teachers and their learners. INTERPRETING THE NEW RACGP CURRICULUM: MEETING THE NEEDS OF REGISTRARS, SUPERVISORS AND MEDICAL EDUCATORS Dr Louise Stone The new RACGP curriculum is an impressive online document, comprehensive in its scope and covering the learning life of GPs from medical student to retirement. However, for those of us in vocational training, it can be daunting in its breadth and depth. It is difficult to engage registrars with the curriculum because they feel overwhelmed by its scope. It is also difficult to engage supervisors, as they frequently question its relevance in “day to day” practice. As medical educators, we also grapple with the relevance of curriculum mapping, and although we try to represent our teaching schedule in some sort of graphical relationship to the curriculum, we wonder whether the curriculum itself drives our program as it should. In response to these difficulties, SIGPET has developed a guide to the curriculum. The document incorporates an approach to mastering the curriculum for registrars, an introduction to the curriculum for registrars entering their first basic term and in interpretation of each curriculum statement that covers: A rationale for the curriculum area What a Basic registrar should know at the start of their term What a registrar should know at the time of their FRACGP exam How SIGPET covers the curriculum area in their formal teaching program What the registrar should learn in practice Activities they can do with their supervisors How they can extend their learning The document will be available for participants to view at the conference.