Ethics - ACGME Competencies

Instruction in Ethical Principles may include settings such as clinical teaching;  case-based teaching, mentoring, Ethics Committee, role modeling; where aspects related to ethical matters and decisions can be more easily discussed.

Here are a number of other resources that may also be useful to you in the development and implementation of program's approach to competency and outcomes assessment and improvement. The information contained in these approaches reflects those undertaken by your UMMC's colleagues, as well as others in your profession to integrate ethical training into their training at a program and/or institutional level.

• UMMC's Pediatrics program developed a web-based self-directed learning activities. Residents view case studies, involving patients from diverse backgrounds.  The module deals with cultural, racial, and disabilities, all which can affect the care and how it is delivered to patients.  First year residents participate in this learning activity as part of an academic block. Please contact the UMMC's GME Department for additional information.
• UMMC's Orthopaedic Surgery program requires first-year residents to complete the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons training module, Are You Culturally Competent? during new resident orientation. Please contact the UMMC's GME Department for additional information.
• UMMC's Internal Medicine program offers program residents the opportunity to enroll in the Tufts University School of Medicine training courses on Ethics of Clinical Investigation. The goal of the course is to increase awareness of research ethics and their practical application to medical practitioners and researchers. Please contact the UMMC's GME Department for additional information.
• UMMC's Preventive Medicine programs sponsors an annual course, Introduction to Clinical Research,  in which all UMMC's residents (from other programs) have the opportunity to participate. The course touches upon ethical issues that may be encountered particularly involving research with human subjects as residents begin to analyze data for statistical reporting and improving patient care. Preventive Medicine. Please contact the UMMC's GME Department for additional information.
• UMMC's GME Department invites residents to participate in the Medical Humanities Hours that are typically held quarterly, and that includes guest speakers who present on a variety of ethical topics. A newsletter examining contemporary ethical issues in health news has been published quarterly during prior years by the Program in Clinical Ethics and is available throughout UMMC. Please contact the UMMC's GME Department for additional information.
• UMMC has an Ethical Advisory Committee. The Committee is available of ethics consults, and discusses ethical topics and develops policy for review an approval, related to ethical matters.
• The American Board of Internal Medicine has a wide variety of evaluation tools for use with the internal medicine residents, which include use of praise/concern cards to document and evaluate professional behavior, including a 360-evaluation process that incorporates aspects of the Professionalism competency. View the American Board of Internal Medicine resource.
• The American Medical Association has developed a free online resource for ethics education.  Each month a new topic is presented; some topics are generics, while others are specialty specific.  All topics are archived, thus allow you to search for topics relevant to your residency program. View the American Medical Association resource.
• ACGME has developed a guide to provide an educational resource for program directors and other medical educators,  Advancing Education in Medical Professionalism, to aid teaching and assessing Professionalism. View the ACGME resource.