Educators Forum offers valuable information on trends shaping rheumatology training

One of the many specialty sessions at this year’s ACR Convergence is the Educators Forum, which targets program directors, division directors, and others who provide education to medical students, residents, or fellows. It is a unique opportunity to focus on how ACR initiatives impact this community, along with discussions on timely educational concepts, designs, and execution strategies.

There are four key topics for this year’s forum, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, November 11, in Terrace Ballroom IV of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The first will focus on the strategic plans of the ACR and the Rheumatology Research Foundation (RRF), including expectations about what should be prioritized from a national level and how to apply these designs at attendees’ institutions.

Next, the Workforce Solutions Committee will provide an update. Moderator Beth Marston, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and of Medicine, University of Rochester, said this would be of keen interest to the education community because it directly concerns the people they’re training. As the size of the rheumatologist workforce increases, the scale of the training programs must grow as well. Understanding these broad trends ensures educators can prepare for the potential impacts on their organizations, she said.

Irene Blanco, MD, MS, Professor of Rheumatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and Ashira Blazer, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Weil Cornell Medical College, will lead a discussion on incorporating key principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into educational programs. This presentation will cover the tenets of DEI from the perspectives of patient care, hiring practices, and internal workforce communications.

“What you learn in fellowship is perpetuated throughout your career. There’s very strong evidence of that,” Dr. Marston said. “So, it is essential to provide these educational programs with best practices that are in alignment with DEI principles.”

In the Medical Education Year in Review, Megan Curran, MD, Professor of Pediatric Rheumatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, will review important research from the past year and highlight developments that could change practices or signal a trend that might be useful to educators or program directors.

“In the last few years, we held the Medical Education Year in Review through the Community Hub, but since the hubs are all virtual this year, we really thought it was important to have this be an in-person presentation,” Dr. Marston explained. “This has been one of the highlights for educators who attend the annual meeting.”

Meeting participants have the option to attend the Educators Forum in person or on the meeting website via livestream, or to view the forum presentations on demand.