Understanding professional development: Case studies of remedial support

Abstract

This study reports on work undertaken by the Interactive Studies Unit (ISU), University of Birmingham. A total of 727 doctors were referred to the ISU for one-to-one remedial support in a variety of non-clinical areas between 2010 and 2018. The close-in scrutiny which one-to-one support offers provides an opportunity to study and reflect on such issues as values and professionalism, which are notoriously difficult to define or reach objective judgments about. There are fundamental difficulties, in particular, in inferring underlying values from an individual’s behavior. The basic taxonomy of referrals the ISU works with, and which echoes those developed elsewhere, considers problems as being at the level of the self, interactions with others, or working in an institutional or societal context. Six common generic problems are identified, and presented and discussed as generic cases. These are designed to be representative of the complex manner in which behavior and values interact, and problems at the three levels above impinge on each other. All cases are accompanied by details of suggested educational activities.

Glossary

Remediation: In medical education, it is the act of facilitating a correction for trainees who started out on the journey toward becoming excellent physicians but have moved off course.

Kalet A, Chou CL, editors. 2014. Remediation in medical education: a mid-course correction. New York (NY): Springer.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

John R. Skelton

John Skelton, BA, MA, RSA, FRCGP (Hon), is a Professor of Clinical Communication, with a background in English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. Working in Academic Medicine at The University of Birmingham since 1992, he co-founded the ISU and is an Academic Lead for Quality for all Programs offered by Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences.

Connie M. Wiskin

Connie Wiskin, BA, MPhil, PhD, is a Director of the ISU and Senior Lecturer at The College of Medical & Dental Sciences, Birmingham. She has taught clinical communication for 27 years and co-founded the IST. She has a special interest in supporting individuals with difficulty in language, communication, and professionalism. Her research focus is measurement of communication effectiveness.

Jonathan D. T. Ward

Jonathan Ward, BA, PGDip, is a Lecturer in Clinical Communication on the MBhCB and MPharm Programs at Birmingham University. He has worked in medical education for 20 years, taking part in patient simulation, facilitation, devising, and assessment. He has a special interest in professional attitudes and is currently studying for an MRes.