VCU Internal Medicine Training Program
2006 R2 Clinical Teaching Retreat
In mid-September, the second year Internal Medicine residents gathered at Chanco on the James Camp and Conference Center in Surry, VA for the second annual VCU Internal Medicine Resident Clinical Teaching Retreat. VCU is one of only a few Internal Medicine training programs which offer this type of training. The two-day retreat focuses on clinical teaching and leadership skill development; residents train under nationally recognized facilitators in the Stanford Clinical Teaching Model.
Dr. Stephanie Call, Training Program Director, directs and coordinates the curriculum for the retreat. Dr. Call trained with Dr. Kelly Skeff at Stanford University in the Stanford Faculty Development Clinical Teaching model in 2001. This educational framework serves as the basis for the clinical teaching training sessions. One of the primary goals of the sessions is to enhance clinical teaching effectiveness through introducing residents to a variety of evidenced-based teaching behaviors. The concept of versatility is emphasized during the course; residents are taught that the most effective approach to teaching is the utilization of different behaviors for different learners, contexts and content. Small group sessions allow residents practice in observing behaviors in video-taped scenarios and practice in trying out behaviors through role-plays.
This year, four facilitators participated in the off campus teaching retreat: Dr. Stephanie Call, Dr. Craig Cheifetz (Assistant Dean for Medical Education, INOVA), Dr. Larry Greenblatt (Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Duke University), and Dr. Stanford Massie (Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham). Thirty-five residents attended the required retreat which also included time for fun activities such as volleyball and soccer and a morning on the ropes course with a focus on effective team-work skills.
“The Department of Medicine is extremely fortunate to have leadership such as Dick Wenzel who supports this retreat. Students, residents and faculty benefit from residents that function effectively in the clinical teaching role. It is fun to see them grow through this experience,” said Dr. Call.
What do the residents think about the retreat?
- “I was doubtful at first but was won over. This retreat really made me evaluate my new role as a teacher.”
- “The program is great at making you look critically at teaching and how to be effective.”
- “Very effective tools are given that I feel comfortable starting to use tomorrow!”
