MP42: Program assessment: taking stock of the current state of Canadian undergraduate medical education in procedural skills curricula

Abstract

Introduction: In order to better characterize procedural skills curricula in Canada, a national survey was conducted. The objectives of the survey were: (i) to characterize procedural skills education currently employed in pre-clerkship and clerkship curricula; (ii) to determine what skills physician-educators think medical students should know upon graduation; and (iii) to identify physician-educator perceptions regarding the development of pre-clerkship procedural curriculum. Methods: A web-based survey was distributed to 201 clinician-educators across Canada's 17 medical schools. Respondents were directed to an individualized survey based on their self-identified roles at their institution. Respondents were asked demographic questions, what procedural skills are being taught and in what setting at their institution, and their opinions on the value of a pre-clerkship procedural curriculum. Results: From the 17 school's surveyed, 12 schools responded, with 8 schools responding “yes” that they had a clerkship procedural curriculum. For a pre-clerkship procedural curriculum, only 4 schools responded “yes”. The 5 of the top 10 procedurals skills identified that medical students should know upon graduation, in order, are: IV Access, Airway Management/Ventilator Management, Local anesthesia/field block, Casting, Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery. On a Likert scale, clinician-educators strongly supported a pre-clerkship procedural curriculum (median = 4.00/5.00, mode = 5.00/5.00), and they believed it would decrease anxiety (median = 4.00/5.00), increase confidence (median = 4.00/5.00), and increase technical ability (median = 3.00/5.00) in incoming clerks. Conclusion: Across Canada, the state of undergraduate medical education procedural skills education is inconsistent. With the identification of the Top 10 procedural skills medical students should know upon graduation, the learning objectives of a formal curriculum can be developed. With overwhelming support from physician-educators, a formal pre-clerkship procedural curriculum is poised to redefine the landscape of procedural care for a whole new generation of physicians.