Reflections on the CEEP Selective

I signed up for the CEEP selective because I was interested in learning about medical education and taking part in simulation learning. I had previously enjoyed being able to teach students junior to me while on clinical rotations, and I wanted to explore how I could do this more effectively. On and around the first day, I was not too sure what I was supposed do around the readings and research for the medical education part of the selective.  I knew we had clinics to attend and papers that we should read, but not much else outside of that. Looking back, everything came together quite nicely.

One of the biggest takeaways from this elective for me was an introduction to the world of medical education and medical education research. I was a fresh slate coming in, and I had no idea where to start exploring this discipline. The papers we were given to read at the beginning of the selective revealed a discipline rooted in research, theory, and apparently ripe for debate as well. The open nature of the selective allowed us to explore an area of medical education on our own that interested us. I learned about journals such as Academic Medicine and Medical Education, and even just browsing through their table of contents and reading their titles and abstracts was illuminating. There was so much research happening in some really interesting areas- simulation, technology, and equity in medical education. In the end, I must say that I really enjoyed the open nature of this selective and how it allowed to define our own goals and learning objectives.

In terms of my more concrete goals, I am glad to say that I was able to reach them during the three weeks of this selective.  We got an introduction to how to teach around case presentations through the SNAPPS and One-Minute Preceptor frameworks.  As someone who is going to be partially responsible for teaching students next year, I really wanted to find a strategy to approach this new part of my job. These frameworks provided this approach. We were also able to read papers about the frameworks and their effectiveness. While these frameworks were designed for the ambulatory setting, going into my PGY-1 year in Internal Medicine, this is a strategy that I am going to adapt for the wards.  It was also a great opportunity to be able to put together a presentation about SNAPPS for our fellow selective students and discuss teaching with them. This presentation must have been somewhat infectious, as right afterwards one of our colleagues gave us a presentation on CPAP and Bi-PAP.

I also got the opportunity to try some advanced simulation exercises. Harvey the cardio-pulmonary simulator was a regular feature of my selective. The model in conjunction with the instruction from experienced clinicians made for a fantastic learning experience. We also got to hone our skills on a paracentesis simulator and an ultrasound simulator that was- for lack of a better term- super cool.  We were able to outline what we wanted to learn prior to starting, customizing the session and making it more satisfying in my opinion. These were some of the activities that I was looking forward to the most. Simulation was the focus of my MedEd readings throughout the selective. Through these readings, I was able to learn how simulation was not only an effective way to teach skills, but how it could also possibly result in improved patient outcomes.

The other large part of the selective was ambulatory clinics with Dr. Ho Ping Kong. These half-day clinics (and one full day clinic) became something I looked forward to every week.  They were like nothing I had ever experienced before. I always felt on my toes as Dr. HPK quizzed us, trying to draw on knowledge from all spheres of life- history, geography, the arts, and yes, even medicine. This wasn’t done in an intimidating fashion, as Dr. HPK would keep us at ease with his easygoing manner and great sense of humor. The ambulatory learning experience was just as valuable as inpatient learning. We would see patients with a variety of conditions, and we’d be able to identify teaching points in terms of the physical exam, treatment plans, and topics to read about later (something that Dr. HPK would emphasize). The biggest takeaway for me was Dr. HPK’s relationship with his patients. He had a great rapport with all the patients we saw and knew them well. He seemed to be able to develop that almost instantly with the new patients we saw.  I think that it came down to his communication with them. He was clear, friendly, and managed expectations well.

While I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect coming in to this selective, I was happy to meet my objectives and even more at the end of the three weeks. I got an introduction to the world of medical education research, learned about how to teach well, got to use some really cool simulation technology, and had an unforgettable experience in Dr. HPK’s clinic.  I can’t wait to return to the Western and/or Dr. HPK’s clinic as a resident in the future!

-SR