Medical Education Elective: Family Medicine Education Research
Introduction
Introduction to Family Medicine Education Research is a research elective developed by McGill Family Medicine Education Research Group (FMER) researchers with the aim to initiate 3rd and 4th year McGill medical students into the family medicine education field of inquiry. This elective will be offered on an annual basis in the fall semester, then it will cover the Periods 4 to 6 (October to December) of the clerkship rotation schedule. Since the academic year 2021-2022, Prof. Samira Abbasgholizadeh Rahimi has been the instructor of this elective, focusing on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in family medicine education and practice.
Medical Education Elective: Family Medicine Education Research
Medical Education Elective: Family Medicine Education Research at a Glance
Elective Duration: 2 Weeks
Educational Objectives
- To acquire basic knowledge and understanding of the topics and research methodologies that advances science in the field of family medicine education.
- To acquire a deeper understanding of a particular family medicine education research topic/methodology according to the expertise of the FMER instructor.
Prerequisites: None
Scope of Work
Content
Examples of topics – Spaced learning; artificial intelligence (AI) in medical education; use of information technology (IT) in continuing professional development; professional identity; mentoring; empathy; trustworthy resources and outcomes of online consumer health information; ‘how to’ perform family medicine education scholarship activities; among others. Examples of methodologies and methods – Qualitative research and reviews; educational randomized controlled trials (RCT) and meta-analysis; observational studies; mixed methods research and mixed studies reviews; case studies; user-centered design/evaluation of shared decision-making tools; among others.
Learning Strategies
They will be tailored to a particular medical student-FMER researcher dyad. In any case, they will at least include:
- Directed readings on the chosen research topic and methodological approach.
- Participation in and/or watching of the FMER Advanced Research Seminars whose videos and slides are uploaded on the FMER webpage.
- Compulsory three-four tutorials (in person or online) of about 1 hour each.
Assessment Method
At the end of the elective, and based of the topic/methodology discussed during the course, the student will be asked to submit a 2–3-page, single-spaced draft of a research proposal
including:
- A brief synthesis of current knowledge about the topic/problem to be examined
- The statement of a meaningful research question
- The development of an initial research plan.
Recommended Reading/Preparation
The list of recommended readings will depend on the topic the student will be interested in. It will be provided by the instructor at the beginning of the elective.
Find more information about the Medical Education Electives.
Are you interested in Family Medicine Education Research?
It is an exciting time in health sciences education, and more specifically family medicine education research. Visit the pages throughout our website to learn more about what FMER members do, and how you might join us and collaborate with us.