Teaching in a Community Setting
Year after year, our training programs continue to evolve as we strive to provide an outstanding educational experience for our current and future learners. Our ongoing commitment to excellence in medical education throughout the Department of Pediatrics is strengthened by the dedication, perseverance and collaboration of our faculty and resident community.
As a Department, we feel very fortunate to offer exemplary educational opportunities for our trainees within our local communities in Calgary and across southern Alberta, and we are so appreciative to the outstanding educators within these communities for providing incredible learning experiences for our next generation of pediatricians.
Ladybug Pediatrics
Educator Spotlight: Dr. Carrah Bouma
Dr. Carrah Bouma is one of our incredible Community Pediatricians and the recipient of our 2020 Community Pediatrician of the Year Award. She is currently a faculty advisor for a pediatric resident and sits on the Residency Program Committee (RPC).
Furthermore, she continues to help build the Pediatric curriculum for the Family Medicine Residency Program and is an educator for Pediatric Academic Half-Day.
Thank you to Dr. Bouma for sharing her thoughts below on the importance of teaching in the community:
"I have a mixed practice with both community clinics and hospital inpatient components, and I work with and support learners in each of these environments. There is huge variation in training and comfort level for the learners that I work with, which include PGY1 Family Medicine residents, medical students, PGY1 and PGY2 Pediatric residents on their community pediatrics rotations, and senior Pediatric residents working on transition to practice level skills.
I feel very strongly that for family medicine residents and clinical clerks, their time with us as pediatricians and with our patients in clinic is a critical learning opportunity to develop comfort with the pediatric exam and to gain insight into the extent of and limitations of general practice. Our GPs have tremendous expectations on them to have an expanse of knowledge in all areas of medicine, and my goals are to help empower them to manage common pediatric issues using Evidence Based Practice, show them where to access preferred resources, and to know when and how to reach out for Pediatric support. I aim to review common pediatric presentations and demonstrate different approaches to the pediatric exam through direct observation and one on one mentorship.
Teaching in a clinic setting is a true team effort in Community Pediatrics. In my practice at Ladybug Pediatrics, we have a shared physician office that provides a welcome space to discuss cases, share medical knowledge and debrief challenging encounters. I believe that this shared experience is highly valuable for a learner to appreciate the variability and nuances in private practice and the benefits of working with a supportive team.
Teaching in a clinic setting is a true team effort in Community Pediatrics.
Dr. Carrah Bouma
Community Pediatrician
Teaching is also dependent on the willingness and openness of families to share their time and experiences with a learner. Creating this supportive learning environment starts with building a strong foundation in your clinical practice where your patients and families feel that they can trust you as their practitioner to hear and address their concerns as it is channeled through the voice of the learner. When appropriate, I aim to create this environment by reviewing patient issues with the learner with the family present. This allows an opportunity for the family to interject if the information presented is misaligned with their perspective.
Each learner deserves a tailored approach depending on their own learning goals and level of competency, which is not always an easy task. I continue to learn and reflect on my teaching approach and aim for improvement. I have appreciated the one45 learner reviews and I regularly schedule meetings with both the Family Medicine and Pediatric residency program directors to review learner feedback and modify areas that require change from both a personal and program level.
Seeing infants in clinic brings me so much joy and I feel so lucky to work with children each day. I hope that my enthusiasm and passion for pediatrics helps to keep learners engaged and bring some fun into the experience, as well."
Infinity Pediatrics
Educator Spotlight: Dr. Lauren Redgate
Dr. Lauren Redgate is a highly respected and caring Community Pediatrician and the recipient of the Department of Pediatrics 2022 Community Pediatrician of the Year Award.
She has a passion for teaching and medical education, advocating for resident learning through her role as the Outpatient Clinic Director for General Pediatrics in the community.
Thank you to Dr. Redgate for sharing her thoughts below on her experience teaching in a community setting:
"Involvement in medical education has been such a rewarding aspect of my career. During my time as a medical student and pediatric resident I had incredible teachers who shaped me as a physician and being able to 'pay it forward' has been very fulfilling. This is not to say teaching is entirely selfless; interacting with learners has encouraged me to be a better pediatrician and I have benefited greatly through my teaching experience.
Over the last few years, I have had the privilege of serving as the PGME Outpatient Clinic Director. I’ve been involved in coordinating the rotations that our pediatric residents experience in the community. This includes the Longitudinal Community Clinic Rotation for the pediatric residents, offering a unique experience where residents attend a community clinic approximately six days per year with one consistent pediatrician as their preceptor, following patients over the course of three years. The preceptors love seeing their longitudinal resident’s skills evolve over time and the residents love seeing their patients evolve over time. The success of this clinical experience and the community pediatrics rotations is partly due to the organization and educational resources provided by PGME, and largely because of the dedication of the educators within the Section of Community Pediatrics.
The experience gained in Community Pediatrics helps prepare our learners for their future, regardless of their career path.
Dr. Lauren Redgate
Community Pediatrician
Exposure to Community Pediatrics is invaluable for our learners. Although our medical students and residents spend the majority of their pediatric training in the hospital, a significant portion of pediatric care takes place in the community within the clinics of the 88+ community pediatricians in our city. We enjoy helping learners experience the variety, complexity, and continuity of patient care that initially drew us into our field. It is special to witness families welcome learners into their lives and share their experiences with them. Students gain insight into how their patients interact within the community and the broader health system - learning about their education, recreational activities, social supports, and community allied health providers. They experience collaboration with a child’s entire health care team and learn to navigate resources to support children in the community. Rotating in community pediatrics also provides the learner with an opportunity to understand how medical clinics operate, which is not always formally taught during our medical training, despite many of us going on to be business owners. The experience gained in Community Pediatrics helps prepare our learners for their future, regardless of their career path.
It’s been a joy welcoming medical learners into the world of Community Pediatrics and working with our pediatric PGME on their vision to train 'Excellent Pediatricians for any setting.'"
PGME Highlight: Our General Pediatrics Program
Our teaching programs wouldn't be what they are without our incredible learners.
In General Pediatrics, our vision is to train "Excellent Pediatricians for any setting." We aim to do this by fostering outstanding learning experiences, supportive teacher-learner relationships, innovation and diversity, and offering exposure and training in almost all of the pediatric subspecialties.
Les Bairstow, Postgraduate Medical Education Office, Cumming School of Medicine
2023 Educator of the Month Recognition
In the spring of 2023, we reinvigorated our 'Educator of the Month' initiative, recognizing an incredible educator in the Department of Pediatrics on a monthly basis.
Dr. Glenda Bendiak - April
Dr. Bendiak is widely recognized as an incredible educator and mentor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Cumming School of Medicine, holding many positions at both the UME and PGME levels.
Dr. Aleksandra Mineyko - May
A true leader in medical education, Dr. Mineyko is a passionate advocate for learners and medical educators in the Department of Pediatrics and beyond.
Dr. Chris Novak - July
As a rising star in medical education, Dr. Novak is fully engaged as a clinical preceptor for all levels of students and residents and recently completed his Masters of Education.
Dr. Carrah Bouma - August
Dr. Bouma is a fantastic educator and a dedicated advocate for residency education, currently serving as a Faculty Advisor and sitting on the Residency Program Committee.
Dr. Erika Vorhies - September
Dr. Vorhies is an outstanding educator and mentor for trainees. As the educational lead for Pediatric Cardiology, she demonstrates a strong commitment to fostering the best learning possible.
Dr. Mary Ann Thomas - October
Dr. Thomas has been deeply involved in residency education for many years. She takes a true interest in the wellbeing and progress of residents and is a compassionate teacher and mentor.
Dr. Kim Smyth - November
Dr. Smyth is a true superstar in Undergraduate Medical Education as the faculty representative on the Pediatric Pre-Clerkship Committee and the Evaluation Coordinator for the Pediatrics Course.
Dr. Michael Fridman - December
Dr. Fridman is patient with learners and consistently finds creative ways to impart his knowledge. The resident group appreciates his devotion and willingness to find valuable teaching moments.
KidSIM Pediatric Simulation Program
We are extremely fortunate to have the KidSIM Pediatric Simulation Program at the Alberta Children's Hospital, an internationally recognized leader in simulation-based faculty development courses. KidSIM was absolutely critical in the response to the viral surge that impacted our hospitals and emergency department last fall and winter, providing vital experience and preparation for healthcare providers who were outside of their comfort zone.
KidSIM Pediatric Simulation Program: 2022-2023 Annual Report
Check out the latest from KidSIM