Ep. 68 The Future of Urology Education: How to Stay Up to Date with Dr. Jay Raman

In this episode of BackTable Urology, Dr. Bagrodia and Dr. Jay Raman, the chair of urology at Penn State Health, discuss advancements and future directions of medical education for trainees.

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SHOW NOTES

First, the doctors discuss the need for medical education to incorporate multimedia and active learning into residency curriculums and CME courses. Dr. Raman notes that although the copious amounts of articles and videos online may be overwhelming, integrating quality videos, textbook chapters, and journal articles into a standardized curriculum for urology residents can teach them the fundamentals of urology. Additionally, he notes that this approach takes into consideration different learning styles.

Dr. Bagrodia emphasizes how the AUA core curriculum has leveled the playing field for trainees, as it has standardized education across all training programs. He suggests a model of having residents do pre-work by learning from the AUA curriculum on their own time and then using valuable in-person time with attendings to review case examples. Dr. Raman agrees that meeting in person for resident lectures or conference courses should be interactive and incorporate active learning exercises. They then reflect on the social value of getting together in order to network and discuss cases casually, but concede that virtual meetings can be more convenient for family life and comfort.

Next, the doctors discuss the role of simulation in education. Dr. Bagrodia notes that simulation increases practice opportunities for residents, which makes them safer and more competent surgeons. Dr. Raman is excited about virtual reality technology, which makes simulation more feasible and realistic for many training programs. The doctors then discuss the possibility of incorporating simulation into board exam certifications. Dr. Raman explains the traditional arc of residency training and proposes changes to this arc to help align resident education better with their future practice types and meet the current need for more general urologists. Finally, they end the episode by addressing the need to expand resident and CME education beyond clinical education to include topics like social determinants of health, time management, wellness, and environmental stewardship.