DEVELOPING A STANDARDIZED CPS CURRICULUM FOR PEDIATRIC RESIDENT TRAINEES
Authors: Purser Matthew , Hunter Andrea , Bhatt Mihir 
Published: May 2018

BACKGROUND

Residents writing the Royal College Paediatrics exam are expected to have a working knowledge of all 223 CPS position and policy statements. However, there is limited data available regarding how best to implement a curriculum focused on resident mastery of CPS statements, and even less evidence looking at the impact of such a curriculum on resident education.

OBJECTIVES

Our goal is to create a standardized resident-directed didactic teaching curriculum that enhances resident knowledge of, and exposure to, CPS position and policy statements. Furthermore, we hope to develop an innovative teaching portfolio that can be utilized by all Canadian Paediatrics training programs to enhance resident learning.

DESIGN/METHODS

We have developed a novel Learn CPS Curriculum whereby paediatrics residents receive monthly formal didactic teaching sessions that are focused on reviewing “high-yield” CPS statements on a rotating 3-year schedule. High-yield statements were identified using a modified Delphi method incorporating expertise from senior residents and subspecialty staff.

Using a 13 question Likert scale assessment, our residents were surveyed at the time of our Learn CPS Curriculum’s implementation, and then again at 6 months in order to gain a better understanding of resident confidence around, and knowledge of, CPS statements. Furthermore, current Program Directors and Chief Residents in Paediatrics across Canada were also surveyed to better appreciate what (if any) similar CPS-directed curricula exist.

Using this data, we hope to optimize the existing curriculum and ultimately disseminate this work for the educational benefit of all paediatric resident trainees in Canada.

This project did receive HiREB approval from our institution.

RESULTS

Prior to our Learn CPS Curriculum, approximately 55% (24/43) of McMaster paediatric residents felt “not very” confident about their CPS knowledge, yet 80% (35/43) believed knowledge of CPS statements was “quite important/essential” to providing optimal patient care. While >85% (38/43) of residents had read <50 statements initially, by 6 months that number had dropped to <70% (30/43).

Based on results from Chief Residents and Program Directors of other Canadian Paediatrics programs that were surveyed, the majority (8/14) felt learning CPS statements is “essential” for residents, yet <25% (3/14) have any formal CPS curriculum. However, 100% (14/14) of respondents would consider incorporating a formal teaching curriculum based on CPS statements into their existing program.

CONCLUSION

Our innovative Learn CPS initiative is one of the first formal curricula developed to help increase resident exposure to CPS statements. Preliminary results based on resident and Program Director surveys suggests that our curriculum is valued, and effective at increasing resident exposure to CPS statements. We plan on continuing to collect learner feedback to optimize our existing curriculum, & ultimately create an educational package that can be used by all Canadian Paediatrics training programs.