Morning Report (Sign-in rounds)
Each morning (except Wednesdays) a morning report conference is held where the CTU teams present and discuss recent admissions. These conferences are moderated by members of the faculty with a special interest in teaching.
Academic Half Days
This is separated for the PGY1 and the PGY2/PGY3 residents. On Thursday afternoons the junior residents attend their academic half day which consists of a schedule of core general internal medicine topics provided by each specialty. In the PGY2/PGY3 year Tuesday afternoons are dedicated to selected topics from each specialty at a more advanced level.
Core Medicine Rounds
Twice a week at noon core medicine rounds are scheduled for all residents. This consists of case conferences, patient safety rounds, case of the month from CTU and a rotating schedule of subspecialty presentations throughout the year.
Regular Departmental Conferences
Departmental Grand Rounds are held every Thursday morning and a weekly Morbidity and Mortality Conference occurs on Wednesdays mornings. In additional each division holds weekly subspecialty conferences that residents are encouraged to attend.
Journal Club
Critical appraisal skills are taught in a variety of settings. Over the summer Academic Half Days are dedicated to critical appraisal teaching. This is complemented by a regular journal club organized by senior residents and attended by faculty. The journal club reviews EBM concepts for a variety of different study designs relevent to the practice of internal medicine.
Simulation Lab
Queens has a brand new, purpose built, state of the art simulation centre in the new medical school building. Plans are in place to add a Harvey cardiac simulator. The new lab is being utilized for simulation teaching and procedural training (e.g. central lines, lumbar puncture, thoracentesis, paracentesis). There is also a smaller simulation centre in KGH itself. This site is used for code blue training when residents are on ICU rotations and the PGY1 nightmare scenarios course. Plans are in development for a senior resident simulation educational series.
Other opportunities
Residents have many other opportunities to develop their teaching skills. Senior residents teach in the clinical clerk lecture series. Others are encouraged to participate in the clinical skills undergraduate program here at Queens. Courses such as Residents as Teachers (RaTS) and Teaching Improvement Project System (TIPS) are provided by the postgraduate office at Queens and we encourage our residents to participate.
CanMeds roles - please visit the Postgraduate Website to try out the online CanMeds modules that are currently available.
Bi-annual meetings with Program Director or Associate Program Director
Resident Portfolio System planned for 2011
A formal Residency Program Committee (RPC) chaired by the Program Director and also comprised of selected faculty members, the chief residents and elected resident representatives (PGY1, PGY2, PGY3) meets once a month to discuss issues related to the program. The committees' responsibilities include resident recruitment, evaluating the teaching curriculum in the program, reviewing teacher and rotation specific evaluations, planning the resident research day and the annual retreat and Last Call Ball. This committee is also responsible for reviewing resident's academic progress in the program and supervising any remediation or probation that may be recommended.
