Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges
-
The slang term "pimping" is widely recognized by learners and educators in the clinical learning environment as the act of more senior members of the medical team publicly asking questions of more junior members. Although questioning as a pedagogical practice has many benefits, pimping, as described in the literature, evokes negative emotions in learners and leads to an environment that is not conducive to adult learning. Medical educators may employ pimping as a pedagogic technique because of beliefs that it is a Socratic teaching method. ⋯ Second, they should apply historic and modern interpretations of Socratic teaching methods that promote critical thinking skills. Finally, they should consider adult learning theories to make concrete changes to their questioning practices. These changes can result in questioning that is more learner centered, aids in the acquisition of knowledge and skills, performs helpful formative and summative assessments of the learner, and improves community in the clinical learning environment.
-
Editorial Comment
Practicing what we teach: in order to teach patient-centered care, we need to deliver it.
In this issue of Academic Medicine, Webster and colleagues explore the impact of a government-imposed mandate in Ontario, Canada, to limit the length of time patients can stay in the emergency department. The rule is aimed at emergency department crowding, which has been shown to result in poorer-quality care, longer hospital stays, and higher mortality. ⋯ In this Commentary, the author describes the patient experience in the typical teaching hospital emergency department, arguing that for too long, teaching institutions have given only lip service to patient-centered care in favor of traditional teaching models. It is time to rebalance the scales so that the patient's experience is a central feature of the curriculum, and putting a time limit on how long patients stay in the emergency department may be one way to do it.
-
One way to ensure quality of health care in the United States is through maintenance of certification (MOC). In this study, the authors explored whether participation in the internal medicine MOC program varies by physician-level characteristics, professional activities, and the size and location of the practice. They also sought to determine which component of MOC was incomplete for physicians who participated but did not complete the program. ⋯ As certifying boards evaluate their programs, they need to continuously improve their features to assure the public that physicians maintaining certification are providing high-quality patient care.