Undergraduate Program Report

Thank you to all the faculty who have continued to accept clinical clerks, elective students and special selective students this fall! In October alone, we have placed almost 100 students on rotations. We realize rotations look different in the COVID pandemic with a combination of in-person and virtual care, and possibly reduced office hours, but appreciate the on-going learning experiences you are providing to the doctors of tomorrow. If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback about the students you have, or if you are interested in taking a student for a clinical placement, please reach out to fmundergrad@schulich.uwo.ca.

Within the new Family Medicine Plus third year clerkship rotation is an innovative quality of care project that students are required to complete. This is a great opportunity to have a student help frame an improvement opportunity within your practice using the Model for Improvement. In their second year, students completed the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Basic Certificate in Quality and Safety and are being asked to apply their QI knowledge to your practice. They need to address at least one of the 6 dimensions of quality – safe, effective, patient-centred, timely, efficient and/or equitable – applied to help make an improvement in your practice. Sample ideas for projects can be found at https://www.hqontario.ca/Quality-Improvement/Quality-Improvement-in-Action/Quality-Improvement-in-Primary-Care

There are several updates from central Undergraduate Education to pass along this month:

  1. Optional Clinical Learning Opportunities (OCLOs) – formerly known as observerships, OCLOs are now being permitted for students in year 1, 2, and 4. Clinical Clerks in year 3 are NOT allowed to arranged OCLOs. Students will arrange these experiences DIRECTLY with preceptors, so you may be contacted. These are optional experiences that we encourage participation in, but appreciate the current strain preceptors are feeling with managing learners during COVID so you are under no obligation to accept these requests.
  2. Compliance with Mandatory Masking in Clinical Care Medical Student Learning – just a reminder that public health and institutional guidelines must be adhered to in learning environments to protect students, ourselves and our patients.
  3. Year 3, 4 students and COVID-19 positive patients – An FAQ was circulated to students regarding participating in the care of COVID-19 positive patients. With appropriate PPE, year 3 and 4 students CAN participate in the care of COVID-19 positive patients, however they are allowed to choose to be excluded. Please note that students ARE NOT permitted to participate in Aerosol Generating Medical Procedures (AGMPs) with COVID-19 positive patients

 

Lastly, the Department of Family Medicine Undergraduate Education Committee is recruiting two or three adjunct faculty to support our working evaluating and improving the undergraduate curriculum. The committee is also responsible for selecting undergraduate education awards and supporting the Family Medicine Interest Group. We meet for 1 hour each month. If you are looking to increase your involvement and influence in undergrad education, please contact me at smckay28@uwo.ca.