LO14: The CanadiEM Digital Scholars Program: An innovative international digital collaboration curriculum

Abstract

Introduction/Innovation Concept: Digital media are a new frontier in medical education scholarship. Asynchronous education resources facilitate a multi-modal approach to teaching, and allows residents to personalize their learning to achieve mastery in their own time. The CanadiEM Digital Scholars Program is a nationwide initiative that provides residents with practical experiences in creating digital educational materials under the supervision of experts in the field. The program allows for collaboration and access to mentorship from top digital educators from across North America. Methods: Interested residents accepted into the program spent a period of their PGY4 year completing modules developed in the theory and science behind digital education. Four modules, developed in an iterative process, have been built on the topics of podcasting, blogging, digital identity, and patient communication. Each fellow was supervised members of the CanadiEM team, a faculty member from the resident’s home institution, and digital experts from across North America. Curriculum, Tool, or Material: The first fellow completed all aspects of the designed curriculum. Above this, he also engaged in blog content creation, initiated research on digital scholarship, and managed the editorial section of CanadiEM. The second fellow is currently halfway through his year (and is expected to complete the program within the year) and has co-authored 30 blog posts and 53 podcasts in 6 months. Conclusion: The CanadiEM Digital Scholars Program utilizes a novel approach to foster development of digital educators utilizing experts across North America. We have demonstrated the feasibility and sustainability with our initial pilot years. This program is being scaled next year to include two scholars per year, which will facilitate cross-collaboration between the scholars.