Emergency Medicine: PD Post - January 2017

Hitting the target in 2017

“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)

I like to sit in the back of classrooms and auditoriums. I have been that way since first grade. It gives me the vantage point of viewing the entire room. That’s where I was during Visiting Professor Day (VPD). From there, I got a sense of the mood of the room as the audience reacted to the speaker’s talk on Competence by Design (CBD). I heard about the audience’s concerns about the changes ahead. Also, about the possibilities and opportunities.

I’d like to introduce you to our CBD Subcommittee, a faculty and resident committee that will be leading the design and implementation of CBD in our program (in alphabetical order): Dr. Niran Agrinatru (PGY-3), Dr. Jennifer Bryan, Dr. Melissa Chacko, Dr. Timothy Dalseg, Dr. Justin Hall (PGY-2), Dr. Taryn Lloyd (PGY-2), Melissa McGowan, Dr. Robert Simard, Dr. Alex Stefan, Dr. Walter Tavares (PhD), Dr. Alanna Wong (PGY-1). In the next couple of months we will feature the subcommittee’s reflections on CBD and the road ahead, starting with Niran, Jennifer and Melissa C. Please scroll down to read their comments!

In the months ahead, the team will be busy designing the curricular and assessment changes to align our program to CBD. Please feel free to approach them with questions and feedback.

“I believe change is exciting and CBD will be the first major overhaul in how residency is delivered in many years. To me, CBD is an opportunity to practice what we have always preached - residency is not just a job, rather it is a journey to become the best physicians we can be. I’m excited to be a part of this change! “   Niran Argintaru
“Changes in medical education in Canada have at times been subtle, at times dramatic. To me, CBD is both. By making targeted changes in how we teach we can make a profound difference in how prepared our residents are to tackle the realities of being emergency medicine staff physicians. I'm delighted to be working with the other members of the CBD committee as our program makes this exciting transition.”                                                               Jennifer Bryan
“If you don't know what you are aiming at, how can you hit the target? By defining measurable and achievable goals for our residents, and giving them the tools to track their outcomes, we can better equip our learners for the real world. Through CBD implementation I hope that we are able to give our residents consistent insight into their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for growth, and in doing so, allow them to succeed.”                                          Melissa Chacko