Application deadline is May 1 for CPD Clinical Educators Program

All clinicians want to provide the very best possible care to their patients but are challenged by increasing complexity and a dizzying array of research findings to guide practice. While continuing medical education (CME) traditionally has been regarded as the source of learning that can be used to improve practice, a gap persists between the quality of care provided and the quality of care that is possible.

Part of the reason for the gap is another gap — the gap between the quality of learning activities that are available for clinicians and the quality of learning that is possible. Our knowledge of how people learn has expanded as dramatically as our understanding of health and illness. At the national level, CME is transforming into “continuous professional development” (CPD).  CPD calls for a process in which physicians are provided opportunities to monitor and reflect on their professional performance, recognize professional practice gaps, engage in learning opportunities designed specifically to close or reduce professional practice gaps and make changes in practice to reduce or eliminate gaps in performance. 

Vanderbilt now has the opportunity to demonstrate the same kind of leadership shown in all of its research, clinical and educational endeavors by developing the capacity of a group of clinicians to incorporate what we know about how people learn into activities that address clinical challenges in a way that can benefit the medical center and its patients. We also have an opportunity to combine data retrieval features of eStar with advances in the learning sciences to create an innovative approach to CPD through leveraging the EHR as a learning tool.

We envision that a group of VUMC “CPD Clinician Educators (CEs)” would lead this initiative. The CPD CE might be similar to the program director in graduate medical education and the clerkship director in undergraduate medical education. He or she would serve as a resource and a leader for guiding the learning activities that comprise the continuing professional development of physicians in a department or division. It is a role that could become increasingly important as the institution embraces a value-based approach to healthcare.

An initial cohort of clinicians would be selected through a rigorous application process that would focus on clinical and education experience as well as individual characteristics such as motivation and persistence. This initial cohort in the program will consist of six clinician educators.

Once selected, a CPD CE would participate in a year-long learning experience that would include six months of classroom learning and six months of project work. Classroom learning would combine a limited number of didactic sessions, inquiry-based and problem-based learning and journal club sessions. Project work would involve design, implementation and evaluation of learning activities for the candidate’s colleagues, focused on closing an important practice gap identified from his or her clinical area and approved by the department chair, division head or PCC director. Learning for the cohort of CPD CEs would be practical, emerging from the interaction of learning science content knowledge, implementation of a staged project plan and discussion with other fellow candidates.

Content will include instructional design using recent advances in the learning sciences, as well as training in use of the data retrieval features of eStar, collaboration in healthcare systems, change management and team leadership.

Don Moore, PhD, professor of Medical Education and Administration and director of the Office for Continuous Professional Development, will serve as program director. Faculty will also include specialists in informatics, health services research and healthcare management.

We expect that the outcome of this program will be tangible improvements in clinician performance as well as patient health status. Importantly, a Vanderbilt approach to CPD will emerge to support performance improvement and patient health outcomes throughout VUMC and its affiliated network.

All classroom sessions will be held in the late afternoon to avoid conflict with clinical responsibilities. We anticipate that participation will require approximately five hours per week, including class time. 

To be considered for the program, after consulting with your department chair, please send a brief email to don.moore@vanderbilt.edu expressing interest and summarizing relevant experience and capabilities as well as a short description of a potential project. Please attach a chair’s letter of support for the candidate and the project. Deadline is May 1.