July 29, 2022

In a new addition to The National, this year APMA is partnering with the American Board of Podiatric Medicine (ABPM) to present an Educators’ Forum. The two-part forum spans four hours Friday afternoon and is perfect for residency directors and anyone involved in postgraduate training. The goal: to modernize the educational experience for podiatric residents.

“Being a residency program director is a tough, more-than-full-time job,” said Lee Rogers, DPM, president of ABPM, chief of podiatry at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and a member of the faculty for the forum. “We heard from residency directors that there was a need for this kind of forum, which would be inclusive for the entire program’s faculty.”

“Most podiatric residency directors and teaching faculty are clinicians and not educators,” said APMA Trustee Patrick DeHeer, DPM, a member of the faculty for the Educators’ Forum and director of the PMSR/RRA at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. “The time has come for a paradigm shift in podiatric postgraduate medical education. We need to educate the educators on the research about teaching. We demand evidence-based medicine for our patients; we should do the same for the next generation of podiatric physicians and surgeons.”

The Educators’ Forum will cover a variety of topics, from creating a psychologically safe learning environment to conflict management to emotional intelligence. These topics were chosen based on evidence that a supportive learning environment in which residents are not afraid to ask questions, express concerns, or acknowledge mistakes produces better educational outcomes.

Other topics include running a journal club, teaching in surgery, and remediation. “The forum consists of several practical topics presented by leaders within the profession,” said Dr. DeHeer. Panel discussions will give presenters an opportunity to share examples of “how I do it” from their own experience as residency directors. “If you attend this session, you will be able to implement strategies on the following Monday to make you a better educator,” Dr. DeHeer said.

Residency directors and faculty, as well as educators from other phases of podiatric medical education and training, will benefit from attending this outstanding new session.

Dr. DeHeer will present on psychologically safe learning environments and running a journal club. “They are two seemingly very different topics, but in reality, they are related. A journal club is an important part of the educational experience for residents. An effective journal club should be an exchange between faculty and residents that leads to a deeper understanding for the residents.”

Dr. Rogers will share strategies for conflict resolution. “Conflict is a productivity-killer and negatively impacts resident training. I'd be surprised to find a single program in the country that hasn't had to deal with some conflict, between faculty, between residents, or between faculty and residents. I will present the most effective ways of resolving and de-escalating conflict.”

To read more from The National Today, check out the full issue!