MEPI Technical Working Groups

CommunityBased

EducationResearchSupportCenters

CompetencyBased

EducationMedical

EducationResearch

GraduateTracking

eLearning

Technical WorkingGroups (TWGs)

Technical Working Groups and the 3 MEPI Themes

CommunityBased

EducationResearchSupportCenters

CompetencyBased

EducationMedical

EducationResearch

GraduateTracking

eLearning

Technical WorkingGroups (TWGs)

CAPACITY

RETENTION

RESEARCH

CommunityBased

EducationResearchSupportCenters

CompetencyBased

EducationMedical

EducationResearch

GraduateTracking

eLearningCompetency

BasedEducation

MedicalEducationResearch

eLearning

CommunityBased

Education

MedicalEducationResearch

GraduateTracking

ResearchSupportCenters

MedicalEducationResearch

CAPACITY

RETENTION

RESEARCH

CAPACITY

RETENTION

RESEARCH

Community Based Education

MEPI Community Based Education

Why focus on Community Based Education?

High impact potential ondistribution/ rural retention

Common area of activity among MEPI schools and global priority

Strong leadership in MEPI community

CBE Links to Health System Strengthening

CBE

National workforce development plans

Education for service strategies

Appropriate skill training for rural practice

National physician distribution strategies

Potential Outcomes for the CBE TWG

• Enhanced CBE training in UGME and sharing of successful strategies among MEPI schools

• Strengthen PGME program in the community through use of district hospitals and focus on Family Medicine

• Promote student interest and skills in regard to national health problems and health system strengthening

• Enhanced faculty skills in family medicine, rural practice, and health systems research

• Establish strategies for long-term improvements in national physician distribution

Research Support Centers

MEPI Research Support Activities

Research Support CenterTWG Activities

• Consult on implementation & program improvement• Provide advice on financial concerns• Assist in developing a leadership structure• Help develop an overarching research

administration strategy for the institution• Conduct workshops or plenary at Symposium • Conduct one webinar in Y2 on a RSC topic.

Graduate Tracking

Graduate Tracking

A fundamental purpose of MEPI is to produce doctors who provide health care in their country and local communities.

Proposed Methods of Tracking at MEPI Medical Schools:• Collaboration with National HRH Observatories• Collaboration with Medical Councils• Establishing Alumni Associations• Using Social Media (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn)• Customized tools (e.g. mobile phones application, online tracking)

Graduate tracking is necessary to demonstrate the success of medical schools in achieving this goal.

Physician Tracking Benefits:

Country Level Physician Tracking

Existing Resources:• WHO: Handbook on Monitoring and Evaluation of HRH• Africa Health Workforce Observatory• iHRIS (free open source HRH software)

Medical Schools

Evaluate the outcomes of programs to increase capacity & rural retention

Locate alumni for alumni giving and CME

Ministries of Health, Education & Stakeholders

Provide clear data on the current workforce

Inform workforce policies

Support HRH funding and evaluate outcomes

• Develop a standardized set of physician data points• Develop a framework of organizational,

regulatory, and stakeholder requirements for tracking systems• Partner with MEPI schools to advocate at the

country level for implementation of physician tracking systems

Physician Tracking TWG

eLearning

eLearning TWG Goals

Case studiesat MEPIschools

Perform in-depth reviews of eLearning efforts identified within the MEPI schools network

Toolbox

Global Literature

review

Create & maintain a toolbox of eLearning resources usable by the MEPI network

Host a mini-conference :“eLearning in medical education in resource constrained settings”

Define, classify, and discuss the current state of eLearning in medical education globally with emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa

Why focus on eLearning?

Commonactivity

among MEPIschools

Commonactivity

among MEPIschools

Increasedrelevance

within MedicalEducation

globally

PotentiallyHigh impact for

supporting:• Distance/ remote

education• Continuing medical

education• Teaching training

eLearning TWG Collaboration

• Coordinating Center roles:• Searchable repository of resources on www.mepinetwork.org • Practical Roadmap• List of MEPI eLearning activities

• MEPI Grantee institutional role:• Recommend resources• Define eLearning needs• Connect with other MEPI Network members

Medical Education Research

Why Emphasize MedicalEducation Research?

• Accountability •MEPI is a large investment, we must document how the

investment is used

• Document Outcomes • Demonstrate how educational investments strengthen

the health system

• Catalyze Collaboration•Many common areas of activity, stimulate collaborative

research

Potential Areas of Medical Education Research Collaboration

MEPI Activity MEPI SchoolsModels for Post-graduate training initiatives to recruit and retain faculty

MAK, UEM, BOT, IBA, UoN, ZAM, ZIM, KNUST

Use of skills labs to address learning needs in resource-constrained settings

ZAM, UoN, MAK, AAU, KCMC

Effect of providing teaching training to students ZAM, UoN, MAK, AAU, KCMC

Effect of providing mobile devices such as Xooms, iPads on learning

UEM, KCMC

Training in the Community: UME, PGME, interdisciplinary, multiple exposure, one short-term exposure, duration

UoN, KZN, MAK, AAU, KCMC, BOT

Training in the Community: A short term description of efforts and a long term analysis of outcomes

KCMC, MAK

Effects of Community Based Education on student career choices

ZAM, AAU, KCMC, MAK, BOT, KZN, UON

Medical Education ResearchTWG Activities

StimulateScholarship Plans

Develop aCommunity of Practice

IdentifyResources

Stimulate school publications and catalyze collaborative research among MEPI schools

Bring MEPI faculty together to share ideas, challenges, and provide mentorship

Opportunities to publish and present& Training opportunities for faculty

Medical Education ResearchTWG Activities

• On Medical Education Research Methods

• Examples of literature in MEPI common areas

• Database of literature in specific areas

• Grantees can consult experts in the MEPI network for guidance on research projects

• Interactions can be facilitated by the Coordinating Center

• Example: FAIMER online modules about Research Methods

• Workshop at MEPI annual symposium

• Listserv of faculty interested in education research

• Peer-to-Peer support

• Share resources to publish and/ or present

Provide Supportive Literature

ConsultIdentify External

ResourcesCommunity

Competency Based Education

What is Competency Based Education?

• Education aimed at improving those underlying characteristics causally related to job performance• Encompasses knowledge, traits, skills, and

abilities acquired over time

• 10 MEPI grants are reviewing and developing curricula

• Competency Based Education aligns itself well to MEPI themes• Quality improvement requires graduates be competent• HCWs must be competent to carry out research

• Competencies should address the needs of individuals, families, and the communities in which graduates will practice

Competency BasedEducation in MEPI

Six Steps to developing a Competency Based Curriculum

From: ACGME’s Developing a Competency-based Curriculum (B. Joyce)

123456

Conduct needs assessment

Identify competencies

Write goals and objectives

Determine teaching methods

Determine assessment methods

Determine program improvement methods

Competency Based EducationTWG Activities

• Literature search and review• Case studies• Dissemination of findings through site visits,

workshops, webinars, conferences, publications etc.

Model of a Technical Working Group

Partner School(s)Partner

School(s)Partner

School(s)Partner

School(s)Partner

School(s)Partner

School(s)

Technical Working Group

TWG MEPI School 2

TWG MEPI School 1

TWG MEPI School 1

TWG MEPI School 3

TWG MEPI School 3

Partner School(s)Partner

School(s)

Non-TWG participating

School(s)

Coordinating Center

Support

• Communities of practice—sharing of ideas, innovations, lessons learnt•Most valuable if they include input from both

MEPI PIs and programmatic personnel

If you would like to participate in a Technical Working Group, please email

info@mepinetwork.org

Technical Working Groups