Sonia Sotomayor, an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, once said that “there are no bystanders in life … our humanity makes us each a part of something greater than ourselves.” Justice Sotomayor was talking about the importance of respect, and it is a message that all medical and surgical residents should consider.
Resident physicians serve as both teachers and learners in a medical education setting, and that means they share responsibility for creating an effective and respectful learning environment. An online education module from the AMA provides guidance about why this type of environment is important and what steps residents can take to make this setting a reality in their own workplace.
“Creating an Effective and Respectful Learning Environment” is just one of the AMA GME Competency Education Program offerings, which include more than 50 courses that residents can access online through their residency program’s subscription, on their own schedules. The program also features six faculty development courses.
The AMA GME Competency Education Program delivers education to help institutions more easily meet Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education common program requirements. Modules offer content in five of the six topics—patient care, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and system-based practice—within the core competency requirements. The sixth requirement, medical knowledge, is one that is typically addressed during clinical education.
Among the program’s experts are several who contributed to the AMA’s Health Systems Science textbook, which draws insights from faculty at medical schools and residencies that are part of the Association’s ChangeMedEd initiative.
Current program subscribers have access to award-winning online education designed for residents on the go. It’s easy to use and saves time with simple tracking and reporting tools for administrators. Learn more.
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Making a choice
It should come as no surprise that the best way to learn is in a respectful environment. Unfortunately, disrespect can be directed toward students, residents and physicians. When that happens, those disrespected have a choice: Let that environment control them or take control of it themselves. It may sound simple, but this decision has the potential to shape that person’s entire medical career.
The most effective strategy in this situation is to act as a role model for professionalism. What does that look like? For example:
- Bring a patient-centered approach to the job.
- Recognize the need to be a life-long learner.
- Show your desire to be a collaborative physician, including your willingness to accept constructive criticism.
Another key component of being a professional and showing respect is developing a culture of effective two-way feedback, where teachers and learners are both able to actively participate in providing feedback. For teachers, that includes being:
- Humble.
- Respectful.
- Specific.
- Prioritized.
- Balanced.
- Timely.
The module includes useful links and downloadable documents, as well as a quiz to test learners’ knowledge of the subject matter.
Easy to track progress
Residency program directors have access to dashboards and reports that provide a view of progress at the program and institution levels. In addition, customizable reports make it easy to track learner performance and demonstrate compliance for accreditation.
The AMA GME Competency Education Program covers topics including well-being, quality improvement and patient safety, residents as teachers, navigating health systems, health equity, professionalism and faculty development. Schedule a meeting to discuss your organization’s needs.
