Catriona Dennis, Hull York Medical School
Background
TiMEToTeach is an outreach initiative provided by the Health Professions Education Unit at Hull York Medical School (HYMS). HYMS, parented by two universities, delivers a clinical curriculum where most of the teaching occurs in clinical placement settings. The clinical placements are geographically dispersed, and teaching is facilitated by a diverse faculty. Engaging this group is challenging due to factors such as location, specialty, profession, teaching expectation and knowledge of curriculum developments. Increasing work pressures within busy clinical environments leads to staff struggling to develop teaching skills and keep up to date with curriculum changes, resulting in a variable placement experience for students. Additionally, sustaining a community feeling among educators across sites, providing support and delivering consistent communication are challenges that impact the student experience.
The initiative
TiMEtoteach takes a holistic view of placement learning recognising all staff can be part of the student learning journey, including academic and clinical tutors, the healthcare team, fellow students and patients and carers. Empowering and upskilling with comprehensive and accessible faculty development is key to faculty feeling valued and having access to collegiality and community involvement.
TiMEtoTeach is delivered in a multi-faceted approach, including workshops, eLearning, focused visits to placement sites and synchronous CPD opportunities. Sessions are tailored to the needs of participants, with online zoom sessions supporting a community of practice, where participants with varying levels of expertise attend and share practical tips focused on specific teaching issues.
Evaluation
Over the past academic year, TiMEtoTeach has delivered 50 outreach events, including online zoom CPD sessions and face to face workshops, reaching 300 participants. The diverse nature of faculty was reflected in the participants, with many healthcare professionals attending. Feedback has been positive with the practical tips being rated as most useful. Online sessions delivered by volunteers who wish to share their expertise are co-hosted by the tutor development team. The focus of sessions have grown to include more specialized themes, such as debriefing in Simulation, and Educational Supervision tips.
Implications for Faculty Development
The TiMEtoTeach outreach initiative supports dispersed faculty because of its accessibility, consistent messages and the community of practice it fosters. Faculty developers who explore the concept of a multidisciplinary faculty may undergo a fundamental shift in recognising who they consider as teachers of medical students. This shift could lead to designing more inclusive faculty development offerings that empower all who engage with undergraduate students in clinical placements.
References
Davies N, Dennis CA. 2018. Engaging the entire work community in shifting collective practice Developing Your Teaching: Towards Excellence. Ed. Peter Kahn and Lorraine Anderson, Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
Dornan T, Conn R, Monaghan H, Kearney G, Gillespie H, Bennett D. 2019. Experience Based Learning (ExBL): Clinical teaching for the twenty-first century, Medical Teacher. 41(10):1098-1105.
Dennis, C.A., & Davies, N. (2020). Twelve tips for promoting consistent, good quality medical education across diverse clinical settings through faculty development approaches. Medical Teacher, 43, 1255 - 1260.
Conference theme: Interdisciplinary Collaboration; International Partnerships; Peer-to-Peer Learning