Purpose -Medical education in the USA has historically been designed around social and economic conditions within the medical community, contributing to a fluctuating emphasis on the number of medical schools, as well as the methods by which medicine has been taught, and ultimately leading to a shortage in the physician supply. This paper aims to describe the current status of medical education training, including the tracing of its origins, and to articulate the ability of new media to accelerate and restructure the physician preparation process.Design/methodology/approach -The application of new media requires a rethinking of long-held assumptions regarding the medical education process. Medical school faculty must be willing to develop new curriculum models, integrating new media technologies to facilitate varied learning modalities. Likewise, clinicians and basic scientists in medical schools must determine the most appropriate information needed by a practicing physician and make that information available via new media platforms.Findings -The utilization of new media presents the opportunity to both accelerate and restructure the medical education and training process. The development of teaching and learning modalities via new media can positively impact the physician supply problem by transforming medical education to a competency and evidence-based curriculum in an accelerated format.Originality/value -The impending health consequences of a physician shortage have crystallized the need to begin immediately to expand the physician supply. In order to meet the health needs of a growing and aging population, it is imperative that the methods of medical education be altered to accelerate and improve the physician preparation process. This restructuring of the medical education curriculum is dependent on the utilization of new media to leverage the digital literacy of today's medical students.
Context As a proposed alternative to the traditional recertification examination, CATALYST is a longitudinal formative assessment platform created on cognitive learning principles. CATALYST was designed by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners to encourage more complex and durable practice-relevant learning and demonstration of ongoing competencies. Objective To investigate the value of the CATALYST platform using board diplomates’ subjective feedback and comparison of performance on CATALYST questions with performance on board examinations. Methods Diplomates from 3 osteopathic specialty boards (the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine, the American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics, and the American Osteopathic Board of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) participated in this pilot study. Over the course of 16 weeks, participants were provided 2 questions per week via the CATALYST platform. An evaluation survey was emailed at the end of the study period to collect participants’ feedback. Survey results and correlations of CATALYST performance with past or upcoming board examination scores were analyzed. Results A total of 196 diplomates completed the surveys, with 95% reporting that participation in the platform would help them stay current in their specialties and 91% reporting that participation would help them provide better care to their patients. For the AOBIM, a significant correlation was found between the number of CATALYST questions answered correctly and performance on the board examination (r=0.51, P<.001). The correlations found for the AOBP and AOBOG were not significant (r=0.197, P=.296, and r=0.370, P=.075, respectively). Conclusion The CATALYST platform could offer valuable contributions to the board recertification process and to patient safety. Further investigations are being conducted on a new user-friendly platform.
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