UGME Clinical Skills Advisory Council

Purpose

The purpose of the UGME Clinical Skills Advisory Council is to:

• Regularly review the clinical skills curriculum ensuring alignment with the MDUP Exit Competencies and the Years 1and 2 Course outcomes.
• Respond to clinical skills evaluation reports and recommend to Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (UGMEC) substantial changes to the clinical skills curriculum.
• Plan, implement, and manage the Years 1 and 2 Clinical Skills curriculum across all four sites, according to the policies, curriculum, and direction set forth by the Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (UGMEC) through the Years 1 and 2 Curriculum Subcommittee.

Composition

Ex-officio

• UGME Clinical Skills Lead (chair)
• VFMP Clinical Skills Site Director, Year 1
• VFMP Clinical Skills Site Director, Year 2
• Year 1 MEDD 411 VFMP Site Director Clinical Skills, Communication Skills Lead
• IMP, NMP and SMP Clinical Skills Site Directors
• VFMP Clinical Skills Manager
• IMP, NMP and SMP Program Managers
• Program Assistants of all four sites
• Standardized and Volunteer Patients Program Supervisors of all four sites
• Provincial Simulation Education Lead

Guests may be invited to join specific meetings or portions of specific meetings at the chair’s discretion.

Corresponding Members

Ex-Officio

• Associate Director of Curriculum, Years 1 and 2
• Assistant Deans of all four sites
• Program Managers from IMP, NMP and SMP

Appointment Process

Ex-officio members are members by virtue of their administrative appointment. 

Term

Ex-officio members remain members as long as they hold their administrative appointment.  Appointed members are for the duration of the review cycle for which they are appointed.

Chair

Chaired by the UGME Clinical Skills Lead. 

Meeting Schedule and Administration

The Advisory Council meets once per month and at the call of the chair.

All members are expected to attend all meetings in person or via videoconference or phone.

Records will be maintained in accordance with UBC and Faculty of Medicine records retention procedures.

Quorum and Decision-Making Process

Meetings will normally be cancelled if fewer than half of the members can attend.

This advisory council provides advice based on the input of all members. Members typically reach consensus on that advice but may convey multiple perspectives if consensus does not emerge.

Lines of Accountability and Communication

This Advisory Council:

• Takes direction from, and makes recommendations to, the Years 1 and 2 Curriculum Subcommittee and UGMEC as needed.
• Works collaboratively with the Year 3&4 Curriculum Subcommittee and the Student Assessment Subcommittee.
• Reports to the Years 1 and 2 Curriculum Subcommittee on an annual basis.

Representatives of this subcommittee liaise with other academic and administrative committees and advisory councils, as needed.

Responsibilities

This Advisory Council:

1. Plans, implements, and manages operations of the clinical skills curriculum, so that it is delivered effectively and comparably across all four program sites. [6.3, 6.6,6.7,7.1 – 7.9, 3.2, 8.7]
2. Makes operational decisions relating to clinical skills (for example, conversion from in-person teaching to virtual teaching provincially) and informs the Years 1 and 2 Curriculum Subcommittee, as needed.
3. Receives recommendations from programmatic stakeholders for content or structural changes to their respective curriculum components and makes recommendations to UGMEC for approval.
4. Liaises with the Student Assessment Subcommittee to ensure that student assessments map to the appropriate session objectives, week-level objectives, course learning outcomes, and ultimately the MDUP Exit Competencies. Any proposed changes to assessments are made to the Student Assessment Subcommittee for consideration and potential recommendation to the Years 1 and 2 Curriculum Subcommittee.
5. Receives and endorses evaluation reports from the Evaluation Studies Unit (ESU) on the Clinical Skills component of the MEDD411/412/421/422 Courses through Years 1 and 2 Curriculum Subcommittee.  Assigns responsibility for action on evaluation recommendations to the appropriate individuals. Follows up on the actions taken to address these recommendations. Reports on the implementation status of program improvement recommendations to the Years 1 and 2 Curriculum Subcommittee. [8.5]
6. Promotes a respectful learning environment; identifies and promptly addresses student mistreatment and other violations of the Faculty’s Professional Standards.[3.5, 3.6]
7. Reviews proposals and evaluation plans for provincial Clinical Skills pilots and innovations, and makes recommendations for approval to the Years 1 and 2 Curriculum Subcommittee and UGMEC. Reviews evaluations post-implementation, identifies required changes, and recommends transition from pilot to operations, or not, to the Years 1 and 2 Curriculum Subcommittee, UGMEC and the RRAC.
8. Consults with other stakeholders (e.g., SAS, Provincial Learner Assessment Team (PLAT), Curriculum Management Unit, MedIT, Faculty Development (OFD), Library Subcommittee, Years 1&2 Curriculum Subcommittee) and Administrative Directors regarding the implications of proposed curricular changes prior to making recommendations.
9. Reviews terms of reference in June of each year, and recommends changes to the Years 1 and 2 Curriculum Subcommittee, if needed.

Approval

This version of these terms of reference have been approved by:

• Undergraduate Medical Education Committee on March 15, 2021.

Appendix

Relevant CACMS Accreditation Standards https://www.cacms-cafmc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/CACMS_Standards_and_Elements_AY_2020-2021.pdf