ROMP SPRING WORKSHOP: March 24-25, 2010
at the Kingbridge Conference Centre and Institute, King City, Ontario
This year’s workshop was intended to:
- Inform delegates about challenges facing the Rural Ontario Medical Program from external sources such as new university programs in Distributed Medical Education, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, and physicians in private practice.
- Provide delegates with information regarding e-learning innovations and how they might benefit from adapting to this technology.
- Guide delegates to understanding about the generational differences in today’s candidates for medical school.
- Engage participants in the development of a new future for ROMP
- Create an opportunity for social networking
The break-out sessions included:
- opportunities to learn about the new policies and procedures in place at ROMP
- integrating patient safety into training
- how to be an effective mentor
The HFO MRA group joined the workshop utilizing some ROMP plenary sessions and holding their own break-out sessions on: Ontario’s primary care primary care mode; changes in licensure and CPSO new pathways to licensure; as well as a session entitled Recruiters: who’s taking care of you.
There were approximately 90 registrants for the first day of the two day workshop, including physicians, university/community education coordinators, recruitment coordinators and representatives from HFO MRA. Forty registrants registered for the second day which was dedicated to planning the future of ROMP.
Dr. Peter Wells welcomed delegates to the tenth annual spring workshop. He introduced the ROMP Staff and Dr. Jeff Remington who would serve as workshop moderator.
Dr. Remington introduced the panelists for the first session: Dr. Merrilee Brown, Mr. Jeff Goodyear, Dr. John MacFadyen, and Dr. Roger Strasser. Each panelist presented comments on the challenges and excitement facing their areas of expertise and thoughts about how ROMP might refine itself to address some of the external changes it faced.
The second day of the workshop was dedicated to formulating the means by which ROMP will adapt to address these challenges.
Dr. Ilana Bayer, McMaster University, described the growing need and call for the innovative and effective use of technologies in university education. She explored many types of e-learning, such as web conferencing, lecture capture, Web 2.0 tools as well as learning and content management systems. Dr. Bayer highlighted the e-learning innovations that are being incorporated into the Education Program in Anatomy at McMaster and examined the successes, issues and challenges surrounding the use of these technologies in a rural setting.
Ms Sharon Baiden, Sudbury Police Department, Human Resources, and guest speaker for HealthForceOntario MRA discussed the generational differences between generation X and generation Y. She explained that understanding generational diversities and commonalities will assist in transcending the differences. In general, all generations want the same thing: to be respected, valued and to make a positive contribution. The differences arise in the way each generation expresses their needs, expectations and values. Generational integration will happen when everyone understands the differences, recognizes the unique needs of each generation, focuses on efforts to strengths of each. In the end, Ms Baiden said the biggest key to success is to communicate and understand.
Three small group workshops were presented: ROMP: placement update, new policies/procedures; Integrating Patient Safety into Training (David Musson, McMaster University); and how to be an Effective Mentor (Barbara Stubbs, Toronto University).
Lt.-Gen Romeo Dallaire (Ret’d) captured the hearts of the audience with his keynote address on leadership and generalism. He spoke for 45 minutes before ending to a standing ovation. He answered questions for a further 45 minutes and regaled the audience with his military life stories.
The second day of the workshop was facilitated by Mr. Erik Lockhart, Queen’s University, who guided the delegates through a series of questions which led to a draft mission statement and a series of goals for ROMP to aspire to in order to meet today’s challenges in medical education and medical health care.