The UAB Graduate Medical Education office is now offering its residents, fellows, and faculty a new training opportunity through the American Medical Association (AMA). The piloting of the AMA GME Competency Software in September 2023 was made possible by medical education funding through Irf Asif, M.D., and a UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine HRSA grant.
This online resource offers residents and fellows more than 15 assigned training and development modules spread throughout PGY1-PGY7. Additionally, five modules are assigned specifically to all core faculty. The available modules, ranging 10-25 minutes to complete, aim to enhance resident, fellows, and faculty skills in clinical or classroom settings and equip them to be better physicians and educators throughout their careers. For the pilot year, assigned modules were made available at orientation for each year with required completion by June 30, 2024.
Topics range from building the patient-physician relationship to managing unconscious bias to properly handling patient privacy and confidentiality. “Creating an Effective & Respectful Learning Environment” is one module assigned in PGY1, PGY4, PGY7, and any residents in one-year programs. Because residents find themselves at the intersection of learning and teaching, it is paramount there is understanding that they share responsibility in creating an effective learning environment. This module teaches how to give and receive feedback and how to combat mistreatment.
To facilitate the teaching aspect of their residency, the “Residents as Teachers” module also aims to ensure that residents are equipped with requisite teaching skills early in their careers. Through a practice-based methodology, this module includes summary of the planning, teaching and feedback phases of teaching. It describes the One-Minute Preceptor model and how to effectively apply the associated five steps: 1) get a commitment; 2) probe for supporting evidence; 3) reinforce what was done well; 4) give guidance about errors/omissions; 5) teach a general principle. The module also defines “formative feedback” and identifies its characteristics. “Residents as Teachers” is assigned in PGY2, PGY5, and any one-year programs.
One of the modules assigned to core faculty is “Modeling a Supportive Learning Environment.” This training describes the qualities of professionalism, identifies the factors that affect giving and receiving feedback, and emphasizes the importance of effective feedback as residents begin teaching in clinical settings.
The GME office receives progress reports that detail where participants are in their learning paths. The goal of providing access to the GME Competency Software resource is for residents and faculty to learn how better to integrate the detailed strategies into interactions throughout the learning environment. The training also assists UAB GME programs in effectively meeting ACGME requirements.
The introduction of this online software to resident, fellow, and faculty training underscores UAB’s commitment to continual development for both housestaff and faculty. Through proven training methods and access to online resources at any time and in any location, these modules will give our trainees essential tools to contribute to UAB Medicine and Heersink School of Medicine’s mission to leave a lasting impact on the healthcare field.