Background Investments in training physician specialists through postgraduate medical education (PGME) are critical for Sub-Saharan Africa, given the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases.Objectives The objectives of this scoping review were to (1) understand the breadth of publications on PGME from Sub-Saharan Africa, and (2) conduct a thematic analysis of lessons learned by specific training programs.Methods We conducted a literature search of 7 databases for PGME literature published between January 1991 and December 2016. Two reviewers independently reviewed titles and abstracts for inclusion. Full-text articles were then reviewed, and bibliometric data were extracted to create a profile of PGME-related publications. Two authors coded the manuscripts to identify articles written about specific PGME programs. These were analyzed for lessons learned. ResultsWe identified 813 publications that reported on postgraduate medical education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most articles were published between 2005 and 2016. Nations leading in publication were South Africa and Nigeria, followed by Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, and Malawi. The largest number of articles related to general surgery training, followed by family medicine, emergency medicine, and anesthesiology. Thematic analysis revealed advantages of training programs for health facilities, challenges related to teaching, resourcing, and standardizing of training, and lessons learned related to international partnerships, faculty engagement, and research support for trainees.Conclusions PGME in Sub-Saharan Africa has evolved over the past 26 years. Future growth will require strategic support to scale programs, support new specialties, trainees, and teachers, and leverage best practice models to sustain PGME programs.

Changes in the U.S. Healthcare System along with the need for institutions of higher education to prepare a work force ready to address the challenges of today and tomorrow have highlighted the need to incorporate technology in its broadest sense as part of the student learning experience. In health professional education, this becomes challenging as programs have traditionally relied on face-to-face instruction along with internship experiences which provide hands on patient care. In addition, learning activities that incorporate higher order critical thinking must be incorporated in order to meet competency based professional expectations as well as expectations in the work place environment. This article will address current technology use in health professional education programs and identify opportunities to incorporate technology to enhance the student learning experiences with emphasis on the critical thinking, communication, and psychomotor skills required of today's health professional graduate.

Since fall 2009, reference librarians at The George Washington University's Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library have been embedded in online classes through Blackboard within the School of Nursing and School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The authors sought to determine the types of questions asked of the librarian, with the goal of informing future interactions with distance education classes to help develop a standard "protocol" for working with this population of students. Eighty-two questions were categorized and qualitatively analyzed. The findings have prompted librarians to explore tools such as Elluminate Live!, a tool that allows librarians to provide synchronous instruction within the Blackboard environment.

QUESTION 1 Should patients with brain metastases receive chemotherapy in addition to whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) for the treatment of their brain metastases? TARGET POPULATION This recommendation applies to adult patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases amenable to both chemotherapy and radiation treatment. RECOMMENDATIONS Level 1: Routine use of chemotherapy following WBRT for brain metastases is not recommended. Level 3: Routine use of WBRT plus temozolomide is recommended as a treatment for patients with triple negative breast cancer. QUESTION 2 Should patients with brain metastases receive chemotherapy in addition to stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for the treatment of their brain metastases? RECOMMENDATIONS Level 1: Routine use of chemotherapy following SRS is not recommended. Level 2: SRS is recommended in combination with chemotherapy to improve overall survival and progression free survival in lung adenocarcinoma patients. QUESTION 3 Should patients with brain metastases receive chemotherapy alone? RECOMMENDATION Level 1: Routine use of cytotoxic chemotherapy alone for brain metastases is not recommended as it has not been shown to increase overall survival. Please see the full-text version of this guideline (https://www.cns.org/guidelines/guidelines-treatment-adults-metastatic-brain-tumors/chapter_5) for the target population of each recommendation.