Craig Campbell (Royal College); Ivan Silver (University of Toronto); Tanya Horsley (Royal College)

Background

Health professions are witnessing increased specialization, rapid expansions in knowledge and technology, an evidence-informed society, and the need to identify effective methods to promote learning in practice. Within this context, defining the learning competencies required to enable health professionals to use practice experiences to continually enhance their practice is assumed to be important.

Purpose

This workshop will examine a new curriculum developed by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada that describes the lifelong learning competencies required to develop and implement a continuing professional development plan relevant to professional practice.The life-long learning (LLL) curriculum supports residents to acquire these competencies prior to entering practice and supports lifelong learning skills of practicing physicians. The curriculum describes how effective lifelong learners systematically seek, acquire, renew and upgrade their knowledge, skills and attitudes throughout their careers.

Format

Short interactive didactic presentations combined with interactive discussion and exercises will enable participants to examine strategies and tools to define their scope of practice, identify strategies to effectively scan their environment for new knowledge or evidence, gain understanding and ability on how to ask ‘answerable’ and ‘searchable’ questions, consider methods to assess their practice using personal practice data, and develop strategies to manage their knoweldge.

Expected Outcomes

Participants will have the opportunity to determine the relevance of the curriculum in enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the personal approaches to lifelong learning and consider how this curriculum can be applicable to their educational or research roles within continuing professional development.