Using the latest technologies for teaching and learning, the program continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of its graduates. Faculty and fellows now make extensive use of computer-based presentations for lectures, workshops, and journal clubs. The presentations become part of the array of educational materials found on a newly created Intranet site. Fellows, faculty, and alumni now have ready access to the curriculum from any computer connected to the Internet. In addition, the TopClass system provides tools for assessing learning, as well as a means for assuring that RRC accreditation standards are met.
Guest accounts for prospective fellows help in the recruiting effort.
In addition, the Critical Care Medicine Journal Club section, with its emphasis on Evidence-Based Medicine, continues as a forum where fellows sharpen their analytical skills and learn to apply research results to their clinical practice. Dr. Paul Rogers has expanded the use of the human simulator in the curriculum to feature training in clinically relevant scenarios. Trainees now spend the first two weeks of their fellowship developing competency in resuscitation procedures, difficult airway management, and leadership skills in complex crisis situations. Second-year fellows are now actively involved in the educational mission by creating interactive critical care case scenarios for delivery on the Web. John Kellum, MD and Jim Rieker, PhD are developing a case database designed to hone clinical decision-making skills in the context of actual experiences encountered in our ICUs.