scholarly journals Teaching poverty and health: importing transformative learning into the structures and paradigms of medical education

Author(s):  
Carrie Cartmill ◽  
Cynthia Whitehead ◽  
Esther Ihekwoaba ◽  
Ritika Goel ◽  
Samantha Green ◽  
...  

Background: As a paradigm of education that emphasizes equity and social justice, transformative education aims to improve societal structures by inspiring learners to become agents of social change. In an attempt to contribute to transformative education, the University of Toronto MD program implemented a workshop on poverty and health that included tutors with lived experience of poverty. This research aimed to examine how tutors, as members of a group that faces structural oppression, understood their participation in the workshop. Methods: This research drew on qualitative case study methodology and interview data, using the concept of transformative education to direct data analysis and interpretation. Results: Our findings centred around two broad themes: misalignments between transformative learning and the structures of medical education; and unintended consequences of transformative education within the dominant paradigms of medical education. These misalignments and unintended consequences provided insight into how courses operating within the structures, hierarchies and paradigms of medical education may be limited in their potential to contribute to transformative education. Conclusions: To be truly transformative, medical education must be willing to try to modify structures that reinforce oppression rather than integrating marginalized persons into educational processes that maintain social inequity.

2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Edwards ◽  
S. Verma ◽  
R. Zulla

Prevalence of stress-related mental health problems in residents is equal to, or greater than, the general population. Medical training has been identified as the most significant negative influence on resident mental health. At the same time, residents possess inadequate stress management and general wellness skills and poor help-seeking behaviours. Unique barriers prevent residents from self-identifying and seeking assistance. Stress management programs in medical education have been shown to decrease subjective distress and increase wellness and coping skills. The University of Toronto operates the largest postgraduate medical training program in the country. The Director of Resident Wellness position was created in the Postgraduate Medical Education Office to develop a systemic approach to resident wellness that facilitates early detection and intervention of significant stress related problems and promote professionalism. Phase One of this new initiative has been to highlight its presence to residents and program directors by speaking to resident wellness issues at educational events. Resources on stress management, professional services, mental health, and financial management have been identified and posted on the postgraduate medical education website and circulated to program directors. Partnerships have been established with physician health professionals, the University of Toronto, and the Professional Association of Residents and Internes of Ontario. Research opportunities for determining prevalence and effective management strategies for stress related problems are being identified and ultimately programs/resources will be implemented to ensure that resident have readily accessible resources. The establishment of a Resident Wellness Strategy from its embryonic stags and the challenges faced are presented as a template for implementing similar programs at other medical schools. Earle L, Kelly L. Coping Strategies, Depression and Anxiety among Ontario Family Medicine Residents. Canadian Family Physician 2005; 51:242-3. Cohen J, Patten S. Well-being in residency training: a survey examining resident physician satisfaction both within and outside of residency training and mental health in Alberta. BMC Medical Education; 5(21). Levey RE. Sources of stress for residents and recommendations for programs to assist them. Academic Med 2001; 70(2):142-150.


1988 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 280-280
Author(s):  
Gregor Reid ◽  
Andrew W. Bruce

The Lister Symposium was held primarily to review the latest concepts of the mechanisms of bacterial infections, and to highlight the research being carried out currently in Toronto and in Canada. The inclusion of several speakers from outside of Toronto added a strong foundation for the meeting.A wide range of topics were addressed and these demonstrated the many areas of research being pursued to better understand the pathogenesis of microbial infections. By drawing together physicians, scientists, and students from a variety of disciplines, it was hoped that the Lister Symposium would contribute, not only to our knowledge of medicine and science in this field, but also to the continued local and national cooperation required for first-class investigative research.This meeting was the first of its kind held under the auspices of the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto, demonstrating its commitment to research and interdepartmental collaboration. We are most grateful to Professor Bernard Langer, Chairman of the Department of Surgery, for his support in this regard. The assistance of our sponsors and the Continuing Medical Education Office facilitated a wide outreach and enabled recognition of the course and accreditation for Canadian and American Medical participants. It is hoped that this material will provide a useful reference for future developments in the field.


2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
S. Glover Takahashi ◽  
S. Verma ◽  
L. Muharuma ◽  
R. Zulla

The Postgraduate Medical Education Office at the University of Toronto has implemented a range of faculty development initiatives targeted at supporting the full implementation of CanMEDS roles and competencies in the day to day learning, teaching and evaluation of residents across the highly distributed postgraduate medicine training programs. In October 2005, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) released a revised version of the CanMEDS roles. In June 2006, the RCPSC accreditation standards for postgraduate medicine changed some standards which result in an increased expectation of implementation of the CanMEDS roles in teaching and evaluation of residency programs. From 2005 to 2007, there have been numerous initiatives by the Postgraduate Medical Education Office to support the understanding and implementation of the CanMEDS roles into the learning, evaluation and outcomes of postgraduate training at the University of Toronto. The PGME Office supported the ‘CanMEDSification’ or integration of the CanMEDS framework by: 1) Supporting the development of teacher/faculty teaching and evaluation resources; 2) Providing faculty development in the understanding of these competencies; 3) Providing explicit program feedback through the Internal Review process The CanMEDS roles have been widely integrated into teaching and evaluation at the University of Toronto. The high attendance rates at workshops and positive workshop evaluations indicate the value of centralized faculty development initiatives and also indicate an increasing confidence in using CanMEDS. The workshop evaluations also indicate a need for additional faculty development in evaluating the non Medical Expert roles. Shorter E. Oxford English Dictionary (5th ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2002. Harris, IB. Deliberative inquiry: The arts of planning. in E.C. Short (ed.), Forms of curriculum inquiry. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1991; 285-307. Harris, IB. New expectations for professional competence. In L. Curry & J. F. Wergin (Eds.), Educating professionals: Responding to new expectations for competence and accountability. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993; 17-52.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren A. Maggio ◽  
Anton Ninkov ◽  
Joseph A. Costello ◽  
Erik W. Driessen ◽  
Anthony R. Artino

ABSTRACTPurposeAuthors of knowledge syntheses make many subjective decisions during their review process. Those decisions, which are guided in part by author characteristics, can impact the conduct and conclusions of knowledge syntheses, which assimilate much of the evidence base in medical education. Therefore, to better understand the evidence base, this study describes the characteristics of knowledge synthesis authors, focusing on gender, geography, and institution.MethodIn 2020, the authors conducted a case study of authors of 963 knowledge syntheses published between 1999 and 2019 in 14 core medical education journals using a publicly accessible dataset.ResultsThe authors of the present study identified 4,110 manuscript authors across all authorship positions. On average there were 4.3 authors per knowledge synthesis (SD=2.51, Median=4, Range=1-22); 79 knowledge syntheses (8%) were single-author publications. Over time, the average number of authors per synthesis increased (M=1.80 in 1999; M=5.34 in 2019). Knowledge syntheses were authored by slightly more females (n=2047; 50.5%) than males (n=2005; 49.5%) across all author positions (Pearson X2=22.02, p<.001). Authors listed affiliations in 58 countries, and 58 knowledge syntheses (6%) included authors from low- or middle-income countries (LMIC). Authors from the United States (n=366; 38%), Canada (n=233; 24%), and the United Kingdom (n=180; 19%) published the most knowledge syntheses. Authors listed affiliation at 617 unique institutions, and first authors represented 362 unique institutions with greatest representation from the University of Toronto (n=55, 6%) and the Mayo Clinic (n=31, 3%). Across all authorship positions, the large majority of knowledge syntheses (n=753; 78%) included authors at top 200 ranked institutions.ConclusionsKnowledge synthesis author teams have grown over the past 20 years, and while there is near gender parity across all author positions, authorship has been dominated by North American researchers located at highly ranked institutions. This suggests a potential overrepresentation of certain authors with particular characteristics, which may impact the conduct and conclusions of knowledge syntheses in medical education.


Author(s):  
Gordon Shawanda ◽  
Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux

This paper evolved, maybe ‘was birthed’ is an even better term given the circumstances, out of an engagement process that brought Gordon Shawanda and several university students together over an academic year. Gordon was invited to attend my Aboriginal Spirituality class at the University of Toronto in September 2009. He liked being there so much that he came each week, sitting through lectures, reading the materials, and participating with unerring grace in the many discussions over the entire year. We were all touched by his presence, his quiet dignity, and his deep interest in our academic learning and sharing experience. Gordon embodies what modern education is trying to get right, the bringing together of theory and practice, and the unveiling of the kind of humanity that can bring Indigenous Knowledge alive for all young people everywhere. Gordon was inspired by their enthusiastic receiving of his words to write down his story. This paper is his first real attempt to express the pain and healing he has experienced over his adulthood. I am honoured and humbled to (gently) edit this work for publication. This is a story that comes directly from the heart and soul of one man, but is the lived experience of many of our people who attended Indian Residential Schools in Canada. It is organized into four parts.


BMJ Leader ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-143
Author(s):  
Ann LN Chapman ◽  
Ross Christie ◽  
Ross Lamont ◽  
Marta Lewandowska ◽  
Luan Tong ◽  
...  

BackgroundThere is increasing recognition of the importance of leadership development within undergraduate medical training. One method of doing this is through student-selected components (SSCs), optional modules that allow students to explore an area in greater depth than in the core curriculum. An SSC in medical leadership has been offered at the University of Glasgow since 2015. We evaluated students’ perceptions of this SSC.MethodsStudents are required to submit a written reflective report on the SSC. These were analysed thematically to determine students’ lived experience. Respondent validation and independent anonymised feedback to the university were used for triangulation.ResultsStudents reported that the SSC allowed them to experience aspects of healthcare not encountered elsewhere in their training. Three themes were derived from the analysis, relating to SSC structure, areas of learning and personal development/impact. Students recognised that leadership development is important within the curriculum and felt that it should be available to all medical students.ConclusionThis evaluation of students’ perceptions of a leadership SSC identified characteristics of the module that were felt by students to be valuable in leadership development and will support development of similar leadership modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.


2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 68-85
Author(s):  
Charles Levkoe ◽  
Shauna Brail ◽  
Amrita Daniere

Operating at the interface between ideas and action, graduate education in geography and planning has a responsibility to provide students with theoretical and practical training. This paper describes service-learning as a form of engaged pedagogy, exploring its ability to interrogate notions related to the “professional turn” and its contributions to transformative learning. Using a case study of a graduate-level service-learning course at the University of Toronto, we address the challenges associated with service-learning and highlight opportunities for students, faculty, universities, and community organizations. Our case study is based on assessment and analysis of the course and contributions to student learning, professional development, and community engagement. We contend that, at the graduate level, service-learning is an underutilized pedagogical tool. Service-learning can impart high-demand skills to graduate students by transforming how students learn and move from knowledge into ideas and ultimately action, and by offering opportunities for developing higher-order reasoning and critical thinking.   


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