Teaching Skills - Residents as Teachers - ACGME Competencies

Teaching activities may include, but are not limited to, clinical teaching, role modeling, and interactive workshops. Program directors must document inclusion of a formal teaching curriculum and assessment of resident and fellow performance (e.g., how does the resident/fellow give feedback to a family/patient). This documentation should be evident in the curriculum and in the semi-annual evaluation of the resident/fellow performance.

The role of teaching in the continuing education of physicians is recognized as important. The ideal clinical teacher exhibits many attributes that will make then effective teachers.  Program directors should assure that their curricula and evaluation mechanisms can document these attributes. Please click here to find what others have determined to be the desired behaviors for teachers.

Here are a number of other resources that may also be useful to you in the development and implementation of program's approach to competency and outcomes assessment and improvement. The information contained in these approaches reflects those undertaken by your UMMC's colleagues, as well as others in your profession to develop and implement the Practice Based Learning and Improvement competency within their program or institution in the following areas:

UMMC's Anesthesiology program conducts a resident retreat. The chief residents, program director, and faculty, including the Chairman developed the agenda and selected presenters. Residents participate in discussions and other learning activities related to teaching skills, time management, and team-building exercises. For more information, please contact the UMMC's GME Department.

UMMC's Internal Medicine program holds an annual educational retreat for rising senior and rising chief residents. During the day-long session, residents participate in workshops on enhancing their skills in a variety of areas, including giving effective feedback, making work rounds work more effectively, teaching medical students, encouraging professionalism during their daily work routine, leading inpatient teams, infusing evidence based medicine into their clinical activities, ensuring effective sign-outs and hand-offs, and enhancing teamwork. For more information, please contact the UMMC's GME Department.

UMMC's Pathology program developed a "hot seat" rotation where the senior residents must demonstrate skills in prioritizing making diagnostic decisions, and teaching other trainees, while attending physicians supervise the residents' abilities to practice at a more independent level. For more information, please contact the UMMC's GME Department.

UMMC's General Surgery program instituted a "Chief School", a series of weekly seminars lasting eight weeks, with the focus of professionalism, team building and leadership. For more information, please contact the UMMC's GME Department.

The Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine has developed curriculum modules for Residents as Teachers. They have provided their express written permission to use the modules that are found at their site.