What do I Want my Doctor to Know?: Integrating Video Simulation and Multimedia for the Learning and Teaching of Medical Residents

The Postgraduate Medical Education Office (PGME) Core Curriculum Web Initiative - called PGCorEd (TM) was implemented in 2008 as a required foundational curriculum for all 1st and 2nd year resident physicians. This new curriculum was accelerated by new accreditation standards for residency training programs by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2006. PGCorEd (TM) modules are web-based and interactive in nature, integrating several simulation approaches to learning and evaluation including: video for role model simulations, video narratives, content interactivity techniques, and electronic key feature case assessments. This paper reports on a case study in a multi-method curriculum project that included: action research, deliberative curriculum inquiry, development of a standardized online multimedia based curriculum, simulation approaches, learner assessment including pre module and post module testing of learners, a comprehensive program evaluation involving pilot testing of content, and the collection of learner satisfaction data. The results from the pilot testing and 2 years of data on pre module and post module testing of learners reveal that this fully online self-moderated curriculum is a viable forum for teaching learners in busy field-based training environments. Learner satisfaction surveys for the completed modules show that using multimedia and storytelling are effective approaches to teaching and learner engagement in an online environment. Additionally, the findings reveal a positive impact on learning and utility to medical residents across diverse training programs. This paper also illustrates some practices to integrate simulation in the effective learning and teaching of the foundational humanistic competencies for postgraduate medical residents. Deliberative efforts by the design teams to be attentive to the needs of learners, including the active participation of learners in constructing the simulations, has resulted in an authenticity of the simulations noted by learners and faculty involved with this project.