An increasing number of medical schools have implemented or are considering implementing scholarly activity programs as part of their undergraduate medical curricula. The goal of these programs is to foster students' analytical skills, enhance their self-directed learning and their oral and written communication skills, and ultimately to train better physicians. In this article, the authors describe the approach to implementing scholarly activities at a school that requires this activity and at a school where it is elective. Both programs have dealt with significant challenges including orienting students to a complex activity that is fundamentally different than traditional medical school courses and clerkships, helping both students and their mentors understand how to "stay on track" and complete work, especially during the third and fourth years, and educating students and mentors about the responsible conduct of research, especially involving human participants. Both schools have found the implementation process to be evolutionary, requiring experience before faculty could significantly improve processes. A required scholarly activity has highlighted the need for information technology (IT) support, including Web-based document storage and student updates, as well as automatic e-mails alerting supervisory individuals to student activity. Directors of the elective program have found difficulty with both ensuring uniform outcomes across different areas of study and leadership changes in a process that has been largely student-driven. Both programs have found that teamwork, regular meetings, and close communication have helped with implementation. Schools considering the establishment of a scholarly activity should consider these factors when designing programs.
Medical educators have gained significant ground in the practical and scholarly approach to professionalism. When a lapse occurs, thoughtful remediation to address the underlying issue can have a positive impact on medical students and resident physicians, while failure to address lapses, or to do so ineffectively, can have long-term consequences for learners and potentially patients. Despite these high stakes, educators are often hesitant to address lapses in professionalism, possibly due to a lack of time and familiarity with the process. Attention must be paid to generalizable, hands-on recommendations for daily use so that clinicians and administrators feel well equipped to tackle this often difficult yet valuable task. This article reviews the literature related to addressing unprofessional behavior among trainees in medicine and connects it to the shared experience of medical educators at one institution. The framework presented aims to provide practical guidance and empowerment for educators responsible for addressing medical student and resident physician lapses in professionalism.
lanning a career after residency, including the decision to pursue a fellowship, communitybased job, or academic appointment, is a complex process to navigate. [1][2][3] Residents weigh several variables, including debt, salary, protected time, family, and research interests. 4 Because of demanding clinical responsibilities, residents find it difficult to explore opportunities that will help them make informed decisions about their postresidency careers.These opportunities are critical because of the role they play in professional identity formation. The recommendations in this article detail opportunities for residents to explore a community of practice and engage in social interaction with educators-both key components of social learning theory. 5,6 This helps move interested residents from the periphery of medical education toward full participation in the community.There are several postgraduate and faculty development fellowship programs that also foster this development. 7,8 These programs are valuable when available but often require a formal time commitment that is challenging for residents. Many residency programs now offer specialty-specific tracks, including medical education, to help residents explore specific scholarly interests. [9][10][11][12][13] The decision to pursue a medical education career is often influenced by factors not commonly discussed during residency, such as scholarly productivity, national engagement, and the complexity of balancing teaching, administrative, and clinical duties. 14 Many junior faculty struggle to navigate these challenges after they have already begun their careers. Though recent literature provides guidance for early career medical educators, 15,16 there is a need to explore best practices for residents to engage in opportunities that allow for informed career decisionmaking during the training years. 17
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