Spring 09 Newsletter

Office of Medical Education Newsletter

Tulane University School of Medicine Office of Medical Education 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-6 New Orleans, LA 70112 Tel 504-988-6600 Fax 504-988-6601 [email protected] www.som.tulane.edu/ome The OME newsletter provides on-going professional development to faculty, residents, preceptors, and others with direct responsibility for medical student education in the areas of:

Spring2009

MISSION WE CONTRIBUTE TO THE MEDICAL STUDENTS’ EDUCATION BY PROVIDING FACULTY DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATIONAL

    

Volume 3, Issue 1

Methods of pedagogy Communication and assessment Development and implementation of educational objectives Educational Technology Competency-based Evaluation

The ultimate goal of this resource is to enhance the teaching and evaluation skills of medical educators at Tulane University School of Medicine. (Read more on page 12, under Call for Submissions.)

Upcoming Events: You are cordially invited to join us for:

SUPPORT AND SERVICES TO FACULTY AND STUDENTS.

“TBL 102” Training June 12 See page 7 for details

CurrMIT Training September 10-11 In this issue… Commentary.…………….….2 Med Ed Innovations…….….3 Evidence Based Med……....3 New Microsurgery Lab…....4 What Else is New……………5 Student Corner.……..……...7 Education Day...……………9 Research Opportunities.....10 OME Updates.…………….11 Upcoming Events…………11 Call for Submissions…..…12

See page 8 for details

Grant Proposal Workshop Effective In-Training Feedback September 25-26 See page 8 for details

Commentary:

OME Newsletter, Fall 2008 Why Connect Undergraduate Public Health with Medical Education? Excerpted from Academic Medicine, Vol. 83, No. 4, April 2008 Almost a decade ago, the AAMC encouraged the inclusion of a population health curricula as part of the four years of medical school. The Healthy People Curriculum Task Force, consisting of representatives from seven clinical health professions educational organizations, including allopathic and osteopathic medicine, has since produced the Clinical Prevention and Population Health Curriculum Framework. This framework includes specific recommendations for teaching the evidence base for medical practice, clinical preventive services and health promotion, health systems, and health policy and community aspect of practice as part of the basic degree programs of clinical health professions including medicine. Data from the AAMC and an article by Garr and colleagues suggest that medical schools are doing an increasingly good job of teaching clinical prevention and health promotion. The larger issues of instructing students about health systems, health policy, and other aspects of population health fare less well. In addition, a recent study of residents from Yale indicates that their knowledge of study design and statistical analysis is inadequate for reading the medical literature. The authors attribute this to inadequate, elementary, and one-shot introductions of study design and data analysis to medical students. They recommend that a more sophisticated and integrated approach be incorporated into expanded teaching of evidence-based medicine. Teaching evidencebased public health to undergraduates should make it far easier to teach evidence-based medicine to medical students and residents. Under the assumption that there is and will be only be a limited amount of time in medical school to achieve these goals, an alternative is to bolster these efforts with adequate preparation as part of undergraduate or college education. One approach is to rely on a growing list of prerequisite courses for medical school. Given unlimited time for medical school preparation, a comprehensive list of prerequisite courses might be desirable. However, given the competing demands of undergraduate education, we believe that the alternative of defining competencies in evidencebased public health as well as other key areas of

2 preparation for medical school seems desirable and more acceptable from the perspective of medical educators, college educators, and students. The success of this competency-based alternative requires • defining competencies or learning outcomes that candidates for medical school need to achieve and providing a testing mechanism to ensure fulfillment; and • articulating these competencies with curricula in medical school that build on basic understandings, reinforcing the curricula throughout the four years of medical school, and viewing these competencies as an inherent part of the education of physicians.

How Can Competencies Serve as the Basis for Connecting Evidence-Based Public Health and Medicine? Evidence-based public health needs to be solidly grounded in epidemiology. Population Health Education Although epidemiology may be taught merely as a technical skill, it can and should be used to develop in students a population or big-picture perspective on health issues. These are foundations for teaching evidence-based medicine as well as evidence-based public health. The recommendations of the Consensus Conference include a series of competencies that may serve as the basis for connecting undergraduate public health education with medical education. The Curriculum Guide also provides recommendations on structuring curriculum to achieve a coherent approach to evidence-based thinking, including fostering “enduring understandings” or concepts designed to be carried away from the curricula and incorporated into future education and practice. The Web-based Curriculum Guide is being developed as an ongoing joint project of APTR and AAC&U, and it is available at (www.teachpublichealth.org). Thus, with the rapid growth in undergraduate courses in public health and epidemiology, it is will soon be possible to use this educational content as solid grounding for medical education. Teaching of evidence-based public health as preparation for medical school will greatly enhance a

OME Newsletter, Fall 2008 coherent approach to teaching evidence-based medicine in the four years of medical school. Students who come to medical school with skills for reading the research literature, an appreciation of the determinants of disease, and an understanding the structure of the U.S. health care system will be better prepared to incorporate evidence-based thinking and a population perspective into their education. Medical education built on this foundation should provide invaluable service to students, the medical profession, and society at large. A population perspective on health issues and an evidence-based approach to practice should be part of the education of all future physicians, starting at the college level and continuing throughout the four years of medical school and beyond. An undergraduate public health curriculum grounded in epidemiology provides a natural way to introduce premedical students to key concepts that they can use throughout their education and practice of medicine. Early experience strongly suggests that students are voting for undergraduate courses in public health and epidemiology with their course registrations. It is time for medical and undergraduate public health educators to work together to strengthen the connections between college and medical school.

Innovations in Medical Education Conference 2009 A Review by Philip Walker http://www.usc.edu/schools/medicine/departments/medical_ed ucation/upcomingconf.html

The Innovations in Medical Education Conference is an annual two-day event hosted by the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, Division of Medical Education. This year’s, the sixth annual, was held March 14-15, 2009 in beautiful (and exceptionally clean) Pasadena, California. While the University of California System dominated the attendee and presenter lists, there were a few from as far away as New York and everywhere in between. Presenters had the option to present in categories such as: Educational Innovations Research; Brief Communications on Innovation; Cool, New and Far-Out Ideas, and a Poster Session. Sessions were quite varied. Many

3 focused on such new hot topics as problembased learning, team-based learning, student remediation and retention, cultural competence and diversity. The vast majority of sessions described new programs for students or residents, discussed whether or not program goals and objectives had been met, and indicated any revisions necessary for the program or intervention to continue within the curriculum. Topics included diagnostic tool training, OB/GYN, Family Medicine, Oral Health, and End of Life Care. Some of the more fascinating sessions discussed the linking of patient outcomes to curriculum intervention, the need for more publishing and improved methodology in the field of medical education, the use of problem-based learning to improve clinical reasoning among third and fourth year students, collaboration in the clinical setting, interactive workshops on informal learning and qualitative methods, and a very entertaining discussion on the future of medicine by Nancy Nielsen, M.D., current president of the American Medical Association. For more information on the conference or to view the proceedings, please contact Philip Walker, [email protected] or 504-988-2410.

EBM During the Spring semester, the Office of Medical Education initiated an Evidence-Based Medicine seminar series. To date, sessions have been provided by Pamela Wiseman, MD, of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, and by Mr. Neville Prendergast and Mr. Philip Walker of the Matas Library. The final EBM seminar for this semester will be held on Wednesday, May 13, in the school of Medicine, Rm. 1558, at 1430 Tulane Avenue. In this final session of the academic year, Dr. Wiseman will present on point of care applications of EBM, and Mr. Prendergast will describe First Consult as a point of care resource.

OME Newsletter, Fall 2008

New Microsurgery Lab Opens The Department of Neurosurgery, in collaboration with the Department of Plastic Surgery, has opened a Microsurgery Lab in room 8704 at 1430 Tulane Avenue. Our microsurgical laboratory provides opportunities for neurosurgery residents and medical students who are seeking additional experience and research projects in anatomical cadaveric dissections. Located conveniently on the 8th floor of Tulane's School of Medicine, our purpose is to advance neuroanatomical knowledge in order to provide a greater benefit for the field of medicine. Currently, there are two projects underway: a dissection of the Diploic venous channels and a dissection of the Facial Artery. Cadaveric heads are fixed in a solution of alcohol and formaldehyde, and red and blue silicone is injected into the arteries and veins, respectively. Microsurgical tools and techniques are used to dissect out each artery in order to accurately describe the course of the vasculature and important anastomoses. The lab is under the direction of Dr. Miguel Melgar, Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery, and Dr. Jorge Alvernia, a Neurosurgery resident. Student researchers currently include Raj Patel, David Cai, Giancarlo Pierantoni, and Cyntrell Crawford. In addition, the lab enjoyed the opportunity to work with Catherine Binet, a medical student on rotation from Faculté de médecine Lyon-Nord located in Lyon, France. Recently graduating from medical school, her interests are focused on the neurosciences and ophthalmology. Wanting to expand her medical knowledge and gain more

4 clinical experience, she shadowed the neurosurgery team as well as worked in the lab under the guidance of Dr. Alvernia.

For more information, please visit http://tulanensurg.googlepages.com/

What Else is New? From the office of . . . Kevin Krane, MD Vice Dean for Academic Affairs Tulane University School of Medicine

Tulane SOM has been asked to host the Team-Based Learning Conference Meeting in March, 2010 and to co-host the International Association of Medical Science Educators Annual Meeting in July, 2010. On April 22-24, TUSOM and LSUHSC co-hosted the biennial NDOGS conference - National Directors of

OME Newsletter, Fall 2008 Graduate Studies in Pharmacology. NDOGS, consisting of directors of Pharmacology graduate programs and department chairmen, meets every two years to discuss graduate and postdoctoral training in Pharmacology. Next year the organization will expand to include Physiology graduate directors as well. For information contact Dr. Craig Clarkson ([email protected]) or visit the NDOGS website. http://www.aspet.org/ndogs/index.html with LSU on 4/23

What’s New in the Matas Library? The Matas Library has a new director, Neville Prendergast, who assumed library leadership here at Tulane in January of 2009. Prior to arriving at Tulane, Mr. Prendergast was the Associate Director for Health Information Resources at the Becker Medical Library at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Under Mr. Prendergast’s leadership, strategic three year planning has begun and a number of innovations have already been implemented. There is a new Matas Liaison Program to establish a clear channel of communication between the academic and research components of the Health Sciences and the Matas Librarians. There is also development underway for a new library website with instant messaging to be made available and a new cross-database search engine (called MetaLib). For PubMed users, the Matas Library is happy to announce that the TULink (green icon) is now available. Full text access, catalog access for print, and Interlibrary Loan request may be initiated from this icon. Please let us know if you have problems or questions regarding this newly implemented feature in PubMed. PubMed seminars will be scheduled on a regular basis to inform users about upcoming changes in the interface. The Matas Librarians are also working toward developing subject guides in all of the health science disciplines that are part of the curriculum and research initiatives at Tulane. Please review the new “Subject Guides” on our website. Hopefully the guides will assist users to locate current journals in specific specialties. Please let us know your suggestions to improve the Subject Guides.

5 We’ve increased the number of desktop computers available for public use within the Library. All of the computers are less than a year old and have the following applications installed: Productivity Software: Adobe Acrobat Professional, MS Office 2007 Enterprise, Photoshop Elements. Medical Science Software: Bones of the Skull, Brainstorm, EpiInfo, ISIS Draw, MacBaby, SciFinder Scholar, Virtual Radiograph. Public Health Statistical Software (available on a limited number of computers): SAS, SPSS, STATA, ARC-GIS. Rooms on the mezzanine level of the library may be reserved for certification exams or presentations; email [email protected] for further information. We offer flatbed scanning and color printing in room M209. In case you have not seen the newly renovated Rudolph Matas Library, please stop by and take a tour. It has a bright, open, and clean new look. A long time dream to renovate the library was realized with a donation from a former student, Dr. James R. Doty. Dr. Doty is a neurosurgeon currently practicing in Mississippi. He remembered getting research help from the library staff, among other memories of his time at Tulane, and he wanted to give back to the school. The library did not change in size but it looks larger due to the new service desk, improved lighting, ceiling tiles, carpeting, window shades, and fresh bright paint. The main entrance is much more inviting with the turnstiles removed and a new door. Comfortable furniture was donated by the Tulane University Health Sciences Center Auxiliary. Probably the biggest change is the 24-hour access door with ID card-swipe access. The 24/7 area also has two new group study rooms with whiteboards. More computer stations were recently added and an outside phone has been made available in the commons area with coffee and popular reading materials. The results of the renovation have been exactly what was intended-- an increase in library usage. Students can study in the late hours and print off class notes before an early morning class begins. All are welcome to relax in the commons area to read and use the computers or ask a librarian for help. The library staff would like to express their gratitude to all the donors and those who worked to make possible the new Rudolph Matas Library--a dream

OME Newsletter, Fall 2008 realized, and a major improvement for Tulane University Health Sciences Center. Come by and visit the Rudolph Matas Library, Room 2520 of the SOM Building, or contact us at 988-5155 or [email protected].

6 Louisiana, contact us. Email: [email protected] Office: (504) 988-2838.

Murphy Building Renovations: New Simulation Center Opens

Rural Outreach Initiative (ROI): New Options for the Clinical Years Louisiana has continuously ranked in the bottom rung of America’s Overall Health Rankings, and 2008 was no exception when LA was again titled the nation’s unhealthiest state. A lot of Louisiana’s poor health outcomes are related to its large rural population and the severe decrease in health professionals in those communities. More than 27% of the population in Louisiana lives in rural areas, compared to a national average of 21%, and over 90% of the state is designated as a Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area. Shortly after Dr. Ben Sachs accepted his position as Dean of Tulane University School of Medicine, he recognized the urgency of addressing Louisiana’s health needs. The Rural Outreach Initiative (ROI) is a comprehensive plan developed by the dean’s office to address health needs in the rural Gulf South. ROI is a top strategic priority that designed to make a positive difference in both the alarming deficiency of physicians and the poor health indicators found throughout the region. The Rural Outreach Initiative (ROI) has three defined goals: medical education, healthcare-workforce development and enhancement, and community-based wellness and prevention. Among activities identified to help achieve these goals are: expanding rural rotations in all medical disciplines, rural preceptor recruitment, medical student recruitment and admissions processes targeting rural students (TRuMEd Program), partnerships with undergraduate rural colleges, rural student scholarships, and medical and public health student projects in rural communities. ROI has begun establishing partnerships in several communities including Morgan City, Winnsboro, Pierre Part, Franklin, Thibodaux, Pointe Coupee Parish, and Bunkie. If you are interested in getting involved with the initiative and its mission to help build a healthier

Sim-Man gets CPR

Under the leadership of James R. Korndorffer, MD, the Tulane Center for Advanced Medical Simulation and Team Training opened on January 2, 2009. Located on the third floor of the Murphy Exploration Building, at 131 South Robertson St., the center offers training to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare and healthcare education. Goals of the Sim Center are to reduce medical error and improve patient safety; allow for multidisciplinary research; provide an environment for healthcare development; and set a standard for national education, training and certification. Jennifer Calzada oversees day-to-day operations of the Sim Center. Jennifer Daniel is the Senior Program Coordinator. A multi-disciplinary educational consulting team has been meeting to align center development with the needs of the students, departments, and various health professionals. A member of this planning group, Dr. Annie Daniel, has requested that all departments notify the Office of Medical Education about the goals, objectives and assessment methods for their simulation modules—for inclusion in the curriculum mapping process currently underway. In the three months since opening, the Sim Center has trained more than 500 medical students, residents, physicians and other healthcare

OME Newsletter, Fall 2008 professionals. The General Surgery, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics clerkships all visited the Sim Center during the most recent rotation to practice procedural skills like lumbar puncture, central line placement and neonatal resuscitation. Fourth year medical students preparing for an Internship in OBGYN also came to the Sim Center to practice delivery skills using the NOELLE birthing simulator. Learners from Tulane University and Hospital, Delgado Charity School of Nursing, and Xavier University College of Pharmacy have participated in TeamSTEPPS, an evidence-based teamwork program designed to improve communication and teamwork skills among health care professionals. Recently, the Sim Center organized a Rapid Response Team Training course for Tulane medical students and residents, and Delgado nursing students. In addition to the trainings organized by the Sim Center, Tulane Life Support now holds BLS, ACLS, PALS and ATLS courses in the facility. The Sim Center has also hosted tours, meetings, and a CME conference on thyroid and parathyroid diseases. To schedule training, a meeting, or a tour at the Sim Center, call 504-988-9150, email [email protected] or visit the website http://simcenter.tulane.edu/.

New TBL Center Opens Named for famed surgeon and Tulane SOM alumnus, Dr. Michael DeBakey, the DeBakey Educational Center, located on the 2nd Floor of the Murphy Building on S. Robertson St., opened for classes on May 11, 2009. Dr. DeBakey was instrumental in relocating Tulane’s medical program to Baylor SOM for the academic year following Hurricane Katrina. The center will be used as the primary T2 teaching site, and will be available for T1 course directors and faculty to conduct sessions using active learning formats. The facility is designed to stimulate active learning, even in large groups, and to enhance the learning process. While the room can be used for traditional lectures; it is primarily intended to support Team-Based Learning, JiTT, and other modern and highly effective new approaches to medical education.

7 The 200-seat facility is high tech and completely digital. It can be divided to accommodate two groups of 100 students on each side. Seating is provided, small group-style, in tables of six. Power outlets are distributed throughout, and internet access is totally wireless. Both sides offer the same remarkable features: high-quality speakers and sound system, Tegrity, audience response systems, six portable microphones for audience use, and a tablet-PC feature that allows the instructor to walk around the room while controlling all the technology and having what is written appear immediately in front of everyone. Introductory sessions have been offered to familiarize faculty with TBL center facilities and operation. In addition, “TBL 101” sessions have been held to provide faculty with the basics of implementing TBLs throughout the curriculum. A“TBL 102” training is scheduled for June 12, conducted by a member of the National Team Based Learning Collaborative (details follow).

Upcoming Events: “TBL 102” Workshop Scheduled Advanced training for Tulane faculty who have completed the TBL 101 sessions, will be provided via a special workshop on June 12, 2009, given by Ruth Levine, MD, a member of the National TBL Collaborative and the faculty of UTMB (Galveston). Dr. Levine has used TBL in the Psychiatry clerkship since 2002, in the Neuroscience and Human Behavior course since 2003; and has provided numerous workshops on the use of Team-Based Learning in medical student and resident education. She conducts research in team-based learning and has several publications documenting the impact of team-based learning on student NBME test scores.

OME Newsletter, Fall 2008 Tulane to Host 2010 GRIPE Meeting The Winter 2010 GRIPE Meeting (January 14-17) will be hosted by Tulane University Medical Center, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dr. Byron Crawford, MD. Registration will be available in Fall, 2009. Reservations: Ritz Carlton Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana. $179 s/d expires December 23, 2009. 1-800-826-8987. NEW! Resident Scholarship Application Form for 2010 GRIPE Meeting Call for Proposals for 2010 GRIPE Meeting - NEW!

8 the Association of Pathology Chairs/Course Directors section of GRIPE. The mission of the Group for Research in Pathology Education is to advance the quality of pathology education through scholarly research and activities related to the definition of educational objectives appropriate to the learner, the development of effective modern teaching and learning techniques, and the accurate assessment of learner performance. GRIPE's membership includes 78 institutions and 236 individuals representing many different countries.

Craig Clarkson, PhD

CurrMIT Training A special program offered by AAMC representative, Terri Cameron, will assist departments with compiling their course/clerkship data in AAMC’s CurrMIT electronic database for export to the LCME forms required for our accreditation site visit in 2011. Cameron will also update administrators on the CurrMIT functionality. This two-day event will be held September 10-11, 2009 in the SP Center on Poydras St. from 9 am-4 pm.

Grant Proposal Workshop September25-26, 2009 In the works . . . a free grant proposal writing workshop to assist faculty and staff with developing their proposals and effective grant seeking. See the Fall 2009 issue of the OME Newsletter for details.

KUDOS Byron E. Crawford, MD

On April 22-24, TUSOM and LSUHSC co-hosted the biennial NDOGS conference - National Directors of Graduate Studies in Pharmacology. NDOGS, consisting of directors of Pharmacology graduate programs and department chairmen, meets every two years to discuss graduate and postdoctoral training in Pharmacology. Next year the organization will expand to include Physiology graduate directors as well. For information contact Dr. Craig Clarkson ([email protected]) or visit the NDOGS website. http://www.aspet.org/ndogs/index.html with LSU on 4/23

STUDENT CORNER Student Creates Guide to Free Health Clinics Richard

Brucker (T2) is the creator of NolaFreeHealthCare.com, an online listing of local clinics that offer free or low-cost medical care to the non-insured and under-insured. The listing is also distributed in pamphlet form at area homeless shelters and community centers.

Professor of Pathology, and Associate Director of the Office of Medical Education, is now Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs. The OME staff would like to congratulate Dr. Crawford on his well-deserved promotion!

Brucker regularly updates the website with input from readers, and is expanding the list to include non-medical resources. For his work, Brucker recently received a 2009 American Medical Association Foundation Leadership Award.

Dr. Crawford is also current president of the Group for Research in Pathology Education (GRIPE), and Chair of

Excerpted from kbrannon http://tulane.edu/news/newwave/012809_nola_free_c linic.cfm

OME Newsletter, Fall 2008

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Katrina Class Graduates!

LAGNIAPPE:

The class of 2009 spent their first year of medical school at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Despite the challenges of adjustment in the aftermath of the hurricane and the transition to Houston, the majority of them returned to Tulane to complete their program of study. They are the only class in Tulane history to have been evacuated three times during their program of study (from New Orleans in 2005 and 2008, from Houston in 2005). Prior to Katrina, Tulane School of Medicine had not closed since the Civil War. We salute all the students who weathered Katrina and have gone on to serve humanity!

In the News . . . Did You Know?

EDUCATION DAY and Teaching Scholar Award The Third Annual Health Sciences Society of Teaching Scholars’ Education Day, held May 7, focused on new concepts for improving medical education and was highlighted by the naming of renowned trauma surgeon, Dr. Norman E. McSwain Jr., as recipient of the 2009 Senior Vice President’s Teaching Scholar Award. Dr. Benjamin P. Sachs, dean of the School of Medicine and senior vice president of Tulane University, presented the award to McSwain and also honored this year’s finalist, Dr. Elma I. LeDoux, associate professor of medicine. McSwain, a professor of surgery, served as trauma director at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, worked with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop the Combat Casualty Care program for wounded servicemen, and assisted with development of a Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support program. This program has since trained more than half a million people in 45 countries and is considered the world standard for pre-hospital trauma care. Education Day showcases innovative developments in the classrooms of SOM educators. According to Annie Daniel, assistant professor of clinical medicine and director of the Office of Medical Education, “The education part is the teaching part — but the scholarship part goes a little bit further, because you are not only teaching, but you are thinking about how you are teaching, about what it takes for students to actually learn the content, what you can do differently to help students retain the information, understand it, or apply it.”

DID YOU KNOW that . . . According to Dr. David Blask in the Tulane Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, latenight exposure to light may reduce levels of a natural cancer-fighting hormone. Shift workers have been shown to have higher risks for breast, prostate and other cancers. Dr. Blask has advised Congressional staffers on the implications of environmental light pollution as part of an effort to get the Environmental Protection Agency to address this problem. Blask is available to speak about the implications of shift work and cancer risk, and to suggest ways that people can minimize their risk when required to work late nights. Excerpted from Tulane Daily [[email protected]].

News

online

3-23-09

FURTHER EVIDENCE (2008) of the dangers of exposure to night light comes from research published in Chronobiology International. Exposure to light at night is the most powerful factor in breast cancer besides genetic defects, according to a University of Haifa study. The researchers suggest that people stop using computers and watching TV late at night, and refuse to do shift work. It is advisable to close the shutters when you go to bed, wear eye shades if you can't darken the bedroom, avoid night lights and lower lights in working environments after sunset. Retrieved from http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=12035185 56682&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

DID YOU KNOW that . . . We live in “Cancer Alley” — the Mississippi River area between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is home to more than a hundred chemical plants and oil refineries. So far, no link has been documented between the local industry and occasional reports of rare-cancer clusters along Cancer Alley. However,

OME Newsletter, Fall 2008 Louisiana does have a major cancer problem. In 2005, the state had 214.9 cancer deaths for every 100,000 people. The national average is 184.1. In response, Maureen Lichtveld, head of Tulane University's department of environmental health sciences, and her colleagues, have created an environmental oncology program. The program includes faculty members from Tulane's expanding cancer center, from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and from Xavier University in New Orleans. Based on H. Ledford, Nature, vol. 458, April 8, 2009 Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2009/090409/full/nj72 39-792a.html

10 play a key role in improving health professions education at their schools. The program is designed to teach education methods and leadership skills, as well as to develop strong professional bonds with other health professions educators around the world. If you are interested in applying, go to: https://faimeronline2.ecfmg.org/ Retrieved from: http://www.faimer.org/education/institute/index.html

Research Anyone?

Love Your NSAIDs? According to Stephen D. Dow, MD, NSAIDs are responsible for 16,500 deaths per year, constitute the 15th leading cause of death in our country, and lead to more than 107,000 hospitalizations each year. Recently, the journal Immunology reported that inhibition of COX-2 has the long term effect of increasing the cytokines TNFa and IL-b, both of which have been shown to promote cartilage destruction. While COX-2 inhibitors may decrease inflammation in the short-term, they also may cause serious gastrointestinal and cardiovascular complications and cartilage damage over the long-term. Dr. Dow concludes that it is important to become more knowledgeable about and provide safer and more physiologic options for managing inflammatory problems in patients.

Tulane University invites students to join with faculty in the search for new knowledge and creative expression.

Tulane University is known for its active research environment. The newly formed Center for Research Education-Activities at Tulane is designed to facilitate and encourage student participation in research and creative expression.

Have you heard of FAIMER?

The website provides guidance to students on seeking out and applying for research positions, getting credit for research, publishing and presenting research, and finding funding for research opportunities off campus. Opportunities for research fellowships and grants will continue to be added to the website as an ongoing project.

The FAIMER Institute is dedicated to creating a “global faculty of health professional educators to effect change in health care.” The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) offers a two-year fellowship program designed for international health professions educators who have the potential to

The Graduate Alliance for Education in Louisiana (GAELA) is a program for substantially increasing the number of minorities entering Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) doctoral degrees and joining the ranks of the professorate.

http://www2.aaos.org/aaos/archives/bulletin/aug04/acdn ws4.htm

OME Newsletter, Fall 2008 Alliance partners include: Tulane and Louisiana State University (the two Carnegie Research I universities in Louisiana and the institutions responsible for 94% of the minority STEM doctoral degree production in the state between 1994-2001), Xavier University of Louisiana, Dillard University, and Southern University at Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The project aims to achieve this objective by building upon existing minority STEM research training programs at alliance institutions and affecting significant change in the culture of graduate education at the state's two top research universities. The GAELA program is supported by the National Science Foundation.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s program – Grand Challenges in Global Health: Explorations offers seed grants of up to $100,000 for research on new tools to fight 11 diseases that result in millions of deaths annually in developing countries. This accelerated grant program requires only a two-page application, and no preliminary data is needed. Anyone with an innovative idea can apply online. Grant recipients are chosen approximately four months after the submission deadline, and initial grants of $100,000 are awarded twice yearly. Successful projects may be selected for follow-up grants of up to $1million or more, and might result in a Grand Challenges project. The Foundation’s Global Health Funding Priorities include:           

Diarrhea HIV/AIDS Malaria Maternal, Newborn, & Child Health Neglected Diseases Nutrition Pneumonia & Flu Polio Tobacco Tuberculosis Vaccines

For more information, go to: http://www.grandchallenges.org/Explorations/Pages/Intro duction.aspx

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OME UPDATES Active Learning Techniques There is a lot of talk these days about “active learning.” Teachers are continually encouraged to implement novel techniques in the classroom to stimulate student engagement and improve learning outcomes. Where does this pressure to change teaching practices come from? Why is active learning important? Here is the short answer to these questions: Where from?  The public  The internet  The government  Regulating Agencies

Why?    

Increasing information access Change in public’s expectations Changes in student characteristics Changes in culture of teaching and learning

Look for more information about this topic in the Fall 2009 OME Newsletter.

“10 Megatrends in Medical Education”          

Globalization Simulation Rising Cost of Medical Care/Education Redefining Desired Traits for Physicians Continuous Measurement of Core Competencies Interdisciplinary/Interprofessional Education Med Ed as Part of the Health Care Enterprise Life-Long Learning & Professional Support Increasing Education in the Ambulatory Setting Technological Innovation

Medical Education is experiencing a paradigm shift. Over the past decade, physician educators and basic science educators have labored to adapt to changes in

OME Newsletter, Fall 2008 curricula, teaching styles, and expectations. These changes, reflected in the “Megatrends” listed above, have come about in response to increasing public demand for improvement in physician performance and accountability and demands for greater fiscal productivity to help sustain the healthcare enterprise. These and other factors have influenced AAMC and AMA policy with regard to educational approaches, measurements, costs, goals, and professional self-monitoring requirements. 1

Lazarus, C. J. (2009). Ten megatrends in medical education. Academic Physician and Scientist, January. Look for more information about this topic in the Fall 2009 OME Newsletter.

Call for Submissions: OME Newsletter Fall 2009 The Office of Medical Education Newsletter is published twice a year as an Adobe Acrobat file delivered by email and posted on the OME website: http://www.som.tulane.edu/ome/ Questions or comments regarding the Fall 2008 issue should be addressed to current editor, Deborah Larimer, in the Office of Medical Education at: 504-988-3328 or 504-988-6600 [email protected] Previous issues of the newsletter can be viewed at:

http://www.som.tulane.edu/ome/newsletters/ Guidelines for future submissions are as follows: The OME newsletter: 

provides general information on events, support services and activities sponsored by the Office of Medical Education

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features short articles summarizing research on current issues, concerns, and innovations in medical education offers guest commentaries on relevant topics in medical education

The editor welcomes short articles from the faculty that introduce or inform others about a unique teaching strategy or method currently being used for teaching. Submissions may include:  Announcements  Short medical education articles (up to 500 words)  Teaching Strategies and Tips  Descriptions of research in progress  Reviews of research  Book reviews  Letters to the editor or faculty  Events of interest  Research ideas for collaboration  Publication notices and requests

Materials/manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word (hard copy or email) to:

Deborah Larimer, Ed.D Office of Medical Education 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-6 Suite 1730 New Orleans, LA 70112 Tel: 504-988-6600 Fax: 504-988-6601 [email protected]

OME Newsletter, Fall 2008

Office of Medical Education 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-6 Suite 1730 New Orleans, LA 70112 Tel 504-988-6600 fax 504-988-6601 [email protected] www.som.tulane.edu/ome

Staff Annie J. Daniel, PhD Director Phone: (504) 988-6600 Fax: (504) 988-6601 Email: [email protected]

Byron E. Crawford, MD A Director of the Office of Medical Education Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs Phone: (504) 988-6603 Email: [email protected]

Jennifer Gibson PhD Assessment/Evaluation Specialist Phone: (504) 988-6600 Email: [email protected]

Jeanne Samuel, MEd Instructional Technologist Phone: (504) 988-6600 Email: [email protected]

Deborah Larimer, EdD Instructional Specialist Phone: (504) 988-6600 Email: [email protected]

Trenise Thomas Executive Secretary Phone: (504) 988-6600 Email: [email protected]

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Our Staff is available to support faculty in educating and assisting students to ensure their academic success and their development of professional competencies. The Office of Medical Education’s missions align with and support TUSOM’s institutional goals. OME Missions:           

Consultation on Teaching Curriculum Development Evaluation of Medical Student Performance Program Evaluation Medical Education Research Publication of Scholarship in Medical Education Proposals for Medical Education Grants Evidence Based Medicine Faculty Development Educational Technology Academic Counseling for Students and Residents