ABSTRACT
Traditionally, clinician educators are tasked with the responsibility of training future physician workforce. However, there is limited identification of skills required to fulfill this responsibility and a lack of consensus on effective faculty development for career growth as a clinician educator. The newly released Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Clinician Educator (CE) Milestones framework outlines important skills for clinician educators and provides the opportunity to create robust faculty development. In this paper, members of the Society of General Internal Medicine Education Committee discuss the importance of these CE Milestones, outline the novel themes highlighted in the project, and provide recommendations for proper application on both the individual and institutional levels to optimize faculty development. The paper discusses strategies for how to apply the CE Milestones as a tool to create a culture of professional growth and self-directed learning. Using a reflective approach, CE faculty and mentors can identify areas of proficiency and opportunities for growth, thereby creating individualized professional development plans for career success. Institutions should use aggregate CE Milestones data as a needs assessment of their faculty "population" to create targeted faculty development. Most importantly, institutions should not use CE Milestones for high-stakes assessments but rather encourage reflection by CE faculty and create subsequent robust faculty development programs. The ACGME CE Milestones present an exciting opportunity and lay an important foundation for future CE faculty development.
Subject(s)
Education, Medical, Graduate , Internship and Residency , Humans , Internal Medicine/education , Educational Status , Faculty, Medical , Accreditation , Clinical CompetenceABSTRACT
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a neurological disorder of the peripheral nerves which can lead to gradually increasing motor and sensory loss. It can be a difficult entity to diagnose, particularly in elderly patients with a history of Diabetes Mellitus due to their overlapping neuropathic syndromes. Reported is a case of CIDP in an elderly female who manifested multiple sensory, motor, and autonomic complaints. A compilation of clinical features, neuroimaging, lumbar puncture, electromyography, nerve conduction studies, and nerve biopsy were used to reach the diagnosis. Highlighted is a clinical approach to identifying CIDP that can cause neuropathy in the setting of other potential confounding disorders namely Diabetes Mellitus.
ABSTRACT
Medical educators' stressors continue to increase, and they increasingly find themselves removed from their learners. This distance is thought to contribute to the disenchantment many educators feel. The challenge for educators is to reengage with their learners and restore their satisfaction in teaching. Mindful teaching can help educators meet this challenge. Mindful teaching is not an instructional technique; rather, it is a way of being that the teacher embodies. Mindful teachers practice awareness, acceptance and curiosity. They recognize the needs of their learners, engaging with learners who are 'at the ready'; encouraging those who might not be engaged; and advocating for those who need support. These educators are less susceptible to burnout and help learners develop their own mindfulness. The Tips noted in this article can help educators make deeper connections with their learners, garner greater sense of personal accomplishment and become invigorated by their learners' achievements.
Subject(s)
Mindfulness , HumansABSTRACT
A 61-year-old Caucasian woman presented to the emergency room complaining of left-sided chest pain and altered mentation for 3 days. Her medical history included liver cirrhosis and coronary artery disease. On admission, she was found to have methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia. Due to a decline in mental status, a lumbar puncture was performed and cerebrospinal fluid cultures grew MRSA. She was treated initially with vancomycin. Ceftaroline was later added, due to the high burden of disease and difficulty in clearing her infection. After initiation of ceftaroline, bacteraemia cleared and mental status improved, however, she developed haemolytic anaemia. Ceftaroline was stopped and vancomycin continued. Staphylococcal meningitis is a rare occurrence, estimated at a rate of only 1%-10% of all bacterial meningitis cases. Ceftaroline seems to be a suitable option for disseminated MRSA infection, including MRSA meningitis, when the clinical response to vancomycin is inadequate. Further studies are warranted in order to establish adequate dosing while avoiding adverse effects.
