Procedures and Guidelines

Preparation of Resident and Non-Faculty Instructors

Categories: clerkship faculty UGME

Updated on:

Purpose

The purpose of the Preparation of Resident and Non-Faculty Instructor Policy is to outline the college-level requirements that resident and non-faculty instructors must follow in order to supervise, teach, or assess medical students in the Undergraduate Medical Education program at the University of Saskatchewan.

This policy ensures that the Undergraduate Medical Education program meets or exceeds the following Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) and Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation standards:

9.1 Preparation of Resident and Non-Faculty Instructors: In a medical school, residents, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and other non-faculty instructors who supervise, teach or assess medical students are familiar with the learning objectives of the required learning experience in which they participate and are prepared for their roles in teaching and assessment. The medical school provides resources to enhance and improve residents’ teaching and assessment skills, with central monitoring of their participation in those opportunities provided.

Principles

Responsibility: The Preparation of Resident and Non-Faculty Instructors Policy establishes clear responsibilities for residents, non-faculty instructors, and administrative officers who contribute to the delivery of the Undergraduate Medical Education program.

Definitions

Non-Faculty Instructor: any individual assigned to teach or assess medical students in the undergraduate medical education program who is not a resident (see below) or faculty at the University of Saskatchewan. Examples of non-faculty instructors include a medical student, graduate student, post-doctoral fellow, sessional instructor, or other contracted instructors.

Resident: Per the Resident Doctors of Saskatchewan Collective Agreement, a resident is any post-graduate physician trainee who:

  • has received an MD degree;
  • is on the Educational Register of the College of Physicians and Surgeon of Saskatchewan;
  • is registered as a student in the College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan;
  • is engaged in a training/employment program in any specialty of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada leading to Specialist certification or is engaged in a training/employment program of the College of Family Physicians of Canada leading to a Family Medicine certification; and
  • is an employee of the University of Saskatchewan or who is externally funded to take residency training at the University of Saskatchewan.

Scope of this Policy

This policy applies to all residents and non-faculty instructors who supervise, teach, or assess medical students in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program at the University of Saskatchewan irrespective of the geographically distributed site at which they are serving as an educator.

Policy

1.0 Expectations of Resident and Non-Faculty Instructors

Residents and Non-Faculty Instructors should be familiar with the following before they can teach or assess in the undergraduate medical education program:

  • Learning objectives for the undergraduate medical education program;
  • Learning objectives for the course, module, or rotation in which they are assigned to teach or assess;
  • Learning objectives for the specific session they which they are assigned to teach or assess;
  • Method of instruction for the course, module, or rotation in which they are assigned to teach or assess;
  • Method of assessment for the course, module, or rotation in which they are assigned to teach or assess; and
  • Context of how the course, module, or rotation in which they are assigned to teach or assess fits within the undergraduate medical education program.

Individual course, module, and rotation directors are responsible for communicating the learning objectives, methods of instruction, methods of assessment, and contextual factors to residents and non-faculty instructors before they begin their respective teaching or assessment duties. 

Residents and non-faculty instructors are expected to teach and assess in a manner consistent with the expectations outlined by the course, module, or rotation director.

2.0 Preparation of Resident and Non-Faculty Instructors

Residents and non-faculty instructors who participate in the supervision, teaching, or assessment of medical students in the Undergraduate Medical Education program must be prepared for their respective teaching and assessment duties.

Residents are required to complete two courses to prepare them for their teaching and assessment duties. It is mandatory that they complete an online Residents as Teacher Module and an in-person teaching improvement course in the first-year of their residency program.

Non-Faculty Instructors shall be informed of the learning objectives, methods of instruction, methods of assessment, and contextual factors associated with the course, module, or rotation in which they are assigned to teach or assess. They will be encouraged to complete additional training to enhance and improve their teaching and assessment skills. Preparation of these individuals is the responsibility of the course, module, or rotation director.

Completion of training for residents shall be centrally monitored by the Post-Graduate Medical Education Office in coordination with the Undergraduate Medical Education Office.

Preparation of non-faculty members for supervision, teaching, or assessing shall be centrally coordinated by the Undergraduate Medical Education Office in collaboration with individual course, module, or rotation directors.

3.0 Further Development for Resident and Non-Faculty Instructors

The University of Saskatchewan and the College of Medicine provide resources and opportunities to enhance the supervision, teaching, and assessment skills of all faculty, residents, and non-faculty instructors

Residents and non-faculty instructors who supervise, teach, or assess in the undergraduate medical education program are encouraged to complete additional training to enhance their pedagogical skills. Wherever possible, the Undergraduate Medical Education Office will promote further development opportunities on-campus and centrally monitor completion of these opportunities.

Residents and non-faculty who receive constructive or concerning feedback through evaluations or other student feedback, will meet with the most responsible planner to discuss the feedback or student concern (see the Instructor Evaluation Framework for the College of Medicine UGME).  Depending on the nature of the concern they may be recommended or required to take additional professional development to support growth in the identified area.

Responsibilities

The Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education, is responsible for providing oversight to the overall administration of the Preparation of Resident and Non-Faculty Instructor Policy at the College of Medicine.

The Manager, Undergraduate Medical Education, with the assistance of the Undergraduate Medical Education Office, is responsible for the implementation, monitoring, and maintenance of the Preparation of Resident and Non-Faculty Instructors Policy. This includes the development and stewardship of standard operating procedures associated with this policy.

The Manager, Accreditation and Post-Graduate Medical Education Operations, with the assistance of the Post-Graduate Medical Education Office, is responsible for the preparation of residents in their supervision, teaching, and assessment responsibilities for the undergraduate medical education program. This office shall also centrally monitor completion of required training for residents. The Student Academic Management Committee, College of Medicine, is responsible for evaluating, reviewing, and updating this policy every three years.

Non-compliance

Instances or concerns of non-compliance with the Preparation of Resident and Non-Faculty Instructors Policy should be brought to the attention of the Vice-Dean, Education, the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education, or the Associate Dean, Post-Graduate Medical Education, within the College of Medicine.

Procedures

The Manager, Undergraduate Medical Education, provides overall stewardship to the standard operating procedures associated with the Preparation of Resident and Non-Faculty Instructors Policy at the College of Medicine campus.

Related procedural documents and resources include: Resident Handbook.

Contact

Director, Academic Program UGME
Phone: 306-966-2750
Email:medicine.ugme@usask.ca