FoMD Education Newsletter - October 2020

No. 24, October 2020

Long before the first official Thanksgiving in Canada in 1879, Indigenous peoples in Canada celebrated the fall harvest. I would like to celebrate the harvest that your hard work, innovation, collaboration and flexibility have tilled. One year ago, most of us did not use Zoom, TechSmith, Smart Exam Monitor and other online teaching and assessment strategies. I am thankful for all the students, staff and faculty that have embraced this change and used it to enhance teaching and outreach to learners.

Discovery Days, a great opportunity to connect the FoMD with senior high school students, will be in a virtual format this year. So, while winter approaches, I am thankful that we have learned how to stay connected, safe, and kind.

As part of the University of Alberta for Tomorrow, conversations are underway with students staff and faculty regarding a number of initiatives including Academic Restructuring and Service Excellence Transformation. Everyone is encouraged to review the material on the websites, participate in the Town Halls and provide your feedback to central via their feedback form. This is our opportunity to consider how we re-imagine our work and enhance collaborations.

Mia Lang, MD, PhD
Co-Vice Dean, Education

University of Alberta virologist awarded Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

On October 5th, Dr. Michael Houghton was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in recognition of his discovery of the hepatitis C (HCV) virus.

His discovery with colleagues Qui-Lim Choo and George Kuo in 1989 opened a new field of viral hepatitis research that led to improved blood safety, and hepatitis C treatment to the point where the viral infection can now be cured in virtually all patients. More

Students wear white coats with pride: Ceremony symbolizes the spirit of professionalism and responsibility

As with many other events, this year's DDS White Coat Ceremony — recognizing the point in the dentistry students' program when they start participating in patient care — was a little different. In its 19th year, the White Coat Ceremony was delivered via Zoom. Congratulations and well done, Class of 2022!

Watch the full ceremony here. Watch the donning of the white coats here.

Effective Assessment Practices - CTL Lifeline

If you are looking for answers when it comes to online assessments, we highly recommend you start with the assessment resources found at the CTL Lifeline page. They explore six concise steps that will help you be better prepared for the upcoming assessment and grading season.

If you need any help navigating the assessment tools and practices available to you, we are here to help.

Questions or comments? Connect with Academic Technologies.

University of Alberta Library Updates

Help us evaluate our services! Take our Reference Management System User Survey!

RefWorks is the RMS that the University of Alberta Library has made available to its community for several years. However, recognizing that there is a vast range of RMS options available, we are now seeking to evaluate the product we offer: is RefWorks the best citation management tool to meet the diverse needs of the scholars and researchers at the University of Alberta?

A University of Alberta Library Working Group is currently investigating RefWorks and other tools for citation management within the overall context of what students, staff and faculty at the University of Alberta need now and going forward. An environmental scan of other institutions, a review of detailed RefWorks usage metrics and your personal feedback via this short RMS User Survey will inform the decision to renew the University of Alberta Library’s subscription to RefWorks.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this survey before October 31.

Database Subscription Cancellations

Due to budget cuts, University of Alberta Library has made the decision to end our subscriptions to the following databases:

Health Policy Reference Center; subscription expires December 31, 2020
Medical Letter on Drugs & Therapeutics; subscription expires December 31, 2020
Online Metabolic and Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease; subscription expires March 31, 2021
OrthoEvidence; subscription expires March 31, 2021

If you have any questions or concerns, please email jwsinfo@ualberta.ca or contact your subject librarian.

Competence by Design (CBD)

On behalf of the CBD team, we would like to congratulate the following programs for their successful July 2020 CBD launch. Despite all the challenges COVID-19 has brought, our programs are doing a fantastic job!

Cardiology (Pediatric)
General Surgery
Neurology (Adult)
Neurology (Pediatric)
Nuclear Medicine
Orthopaedic Surgery
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Plastic Surgery
Psychiatry

We would also like to share with you the list of programs that are scheduled for the July 2021 CBD launch:

Cardiology (Adult)
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Forensic Psychiatry
Geriatric Psychiatry
Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Pediatrics
Respirology (Adult)
Respirology (Pediatric)

Finally, the Royal College has compiled a helpful table of key CBD resources that can be found here.

Best wishes,
Dr. Anna Oswald, Director, CBD, on behalf of the CBD implementation team

National Awards Open for Nominations

The are a number of awards now accepting nominations from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). Please click the link below for further details, or contact Kirsten Bauer, Awards Coordinator for more information.

Royal College Awards - Click for details - Deadline: December 15, 2020

Lifelong Learning Online Course: Coaching Out of the Box
Oct 21 - Dec 16, 2020
Wednesdays from 4:30 - 6 p.m.
Fee: $499
Register here

The practice of medicine requires a range of technical and adaptive skills, and a variety of roles, including leading, teaching, and mentoring. Advancing your coaching skills strengthens communication, and promotes team effectiveness, good leadership, and psychological safety.

Join us for a 12-hour, eight week online session designed to teach you practical skills in coaching - such as listening with intention and the art of asking powerful questions.

The FoMD Office of Faculty Development has several workshops available this Fall. For dates, more information and to register, please click on the appropriate link below.

Mentorship Workshop - October 22 or December 10
Register here

Educational Research in Health Sciences Education - November 10
Register here

Peer Consultation - November 19
Register here

U of A Library Virtual Workshop -Covidence: Streamline workflows to save time in Systematic Reviews
Thursday, November 12, 10 - 11 a.m.
Register here

Contact us at fomdvde@ualberta.ca

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