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Scholarship and teaching

 

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Definition of competency

To demonstrate a lifelong commitment to reflective learning, and the creation, dissemination, application and translation of medical knowledge by:

  • showing commitment to lifelong learning
  • teaching, supervision and assessment
  • improving surgical practice

Key clinical tasks and the workplace

The related key clinical tasks (KCT) have been designed to help you apply the Framework to your job. You can use these to obtain feedback on, and/or assessment of, your level of performance.

Select the PGY (1–3) tabs below to view the progression of the expected skills, knowledge and behaviours across the early postgraduate years.

  • PGY1
  • PGY 2
  • PGY 3
  • PGY 3+
  • Teaching is based on adult learning principles.
  • Plan educational activities to address the needs of all learners.
  • Assist with training of medical students in clinical examination and simple skills.
  • Evaluate and learn from feedback regarding own teaching.
  • Apply confidentiality codes relating to the educational environment.
  • Determine each patient’s level of health literacy and use available resources to deliver health education.
  • Attend unit or morbidity/mortality meetings. Identify any personal knowledge, skills or behaviour changes required.
  • Participate in departmental or other continuing education opportunities, e.g. journal club.
  • Seek opportunities for feedback to reflect on and learn from clinical practice.
  • Participate in research, quality improvement and clinical audit activities where possible
    • Participate in research
    • Undertake literature searches relevant to the clinical care of patients, including use of PubMed, Medline and Cochrane reviews
    • Apply critical appraisal skills when reading medical literature
    • Compare outcomes of published research studies relating to clinical care within the unit
    • Reflect on own skills and personal attributes when investigating a range of career options.
  • Reflect on and learn from own observations of clinical practice.

  • Develop a curriculum suitable for teaching medical students over one term.
  • Use varied approaches to teaching small and large groups; apply different learning styles and different technologies to teaching/learning activities.
  • Lead the training of junior doctors in clinical examination and teaching of simple skills using a teaching plan.
  • Provide constructive, timely and specific feedback to interns based on observation of a junior’s performance, encouraging them to reflect on their own learning.
  • Use a range of strategies aimed at improving patient education.
  • Assist with a research trial being undertaken in the organisation that may lead to presentation or publication  
    • Frame a clinical question
    • Analyse and present outcome of literature search to colleagues, both oral and written form
    • Apply appropriate statistical methods to answer a clinical question.
  • Contribute to unit morbidity/mortality meetings.
  • Use the Plan, Do, Study, Act audit cycle, and take an audit through the first steps.
  • Use current evidence-based resources in own learning, in communicating with patients and in making decisions about the care of patients.
  • Use a range of resources in educational planning
    • Portfolio analysis
    • Incorporate teaching into clinical work
    • Undertake induction of medical students, peers and juniors
    • Identify issues of stress relating to educational activities and promote strategies for positive change
    • Educate other team members about procedures/medications used within the clinical unit.
  • Identify areas of improvement in teaching/ learning activities and work with Unit Head/ Director of Surgery to implement change.
  • Use multi-disciplinary team meetings as teaching and educational opportunities.
  • Provide effective supervision using recognised techniques and skills (availability, orientation, learning opportunities, role modelling, delegation).
  • Adapt level of supervision to learner’s competence and confidence.
  • Conduct assessments of (e.g. mini-CEX, 360° assessment), and observe, juniors; discuss and escalate performance issues where appropriate.
  • Chair/facilitate morbidity/mortality meetings, and identify desirable changes to processes and systems of care.
  • Identify personal learning objectives using a learning plan.
  • Involvement with a research trial, research based on multi-disciplinary care, or quality improvement activities being undertaken in the organisation
    • Write an abstract for submission to an appropriate health/clinical meeting
    • Write a scientific paper
    • Present a research paper at a conference
    • Interpret confidence intervals, levels of significance (p values), and study power when reviewing results of clinical trials.
  • Support audit by junior medical trainees and within the multi-disciplinary team
    • Apply evidence to a specific clinical situation and describe how findings influence practice
    • Use audit findings to develop and implement change.
  • Enrol in a post-graduate course related to clinical career pathway (or more broadly, such as education
  • Research years (pre- or post-acceptance into specialty training program).
  • Assist with curriculum development, e.g. online resources for a university medical school.