UGME Integrated Community Clerkship Subcommittee — Terms of Reference

Purpose and Authority

The purpose of this subcommittee is to:

• Oversee and manage delivery of the Integrated Community Clerkship (ICC) programs.
• Recommend to the Year 3&4 Curriculum Subcommittee improvements to the existing programs and opportunities for expansion and development of new experiences for Year 3 students in the MD program.
• Initiate improvements and enhancements to operational procedures for the ICC programs.

Composition

This subcommittee is made up of ex officio and appointed members.

The Faculty of Medicine’s commitment to equitable and diverse membership on its committees and advisory councils guides its nomination and selection process.

Voting Members

Ex officio

• Program Director, Integrated Community Clerkship (chair)  (1)
• Expansion Director, Integrated Community Clerkship (1)
• Associate Director, Curriculum, Years 3&4 (1)
• Integrated Clerkship Site Director, Chilliwack (1)
• Integrated Clerkship Site Director, Duncan (1)
• Integrated Clerkship Site Director, Fort St. John (Peace Liard) (1)
• Integrated Clerkship Site Director, Terrace (1*)
• Integrated Clerkship Site Director, Trail (1)
• Integrated Clerkship Site Director, Vernon (1)
• Program Managers, Year 3 (one from each of IMP, NMP, SMP, and VFMP; sharing 1 vote) (1)
• ICC Site Program Coordinators, Year 3 (one from each ICC Site, sharing 1 vote) (1)

Appointed

• Six ICC students (one student from each site; 6 individuals sharing 2 votes) (2)
• Four Year 3 Clerkship Directors, or delegates (one from each of IMP, NMP, SMP, and VFMP; 4 individuals sharing 1 vote) (1)

*For positions shared by multiple people, all may attend, but they share one vote.

Non-voting Members

Ex officio

• Assessment and Evaluation Coordinator, SMP
• Administrative Manager, Fraser

Appointed

• One Student Affairs member (1)
• One Faculty Development member (1)
• One Provincial Learner Assessment Team member (1)
• One Evaluation Studies Unit member (1)
• One Department of Family Practice or Rural Family Practice member (1)

Guests may be invited to join specific meetings or portions of specific meetings at the chair’s discretion.

Appointment Process

Ex officio members are members by virtue of their administrative appointment.

Appointed members, including students, are appointed by the chair.

Term

Ex officio members are members as long as they hold their administrative appointment.

Appointed students are members for a one-year term.

Other appointed members are members for a three-year term and are eligible for renewal.

Chair

Chaired by the Program Director, Integrated Community Clerkship or delegate.

Meeting Schedule and Administration

Normally meets approximately every month and at the call of the chair.

All members are expected to attend all meetings in person or via videoconference or phone.

The ICC Program Assistant captures meeting minutes. Minutes will be circulated to all members.

Records will be maintained in accordance with UBC and Faculty of Medicine records retention procedures.

Quorum and Decision Making Process

Quorum consists of 50% plus one of voting members (7 of 14) and at least one voting member from at least 50% plus one of ICC sites (4 of 6).

Decisions are made by vote, requiring 50% plus one of voting members present to pass.

Lines of Accountability and Communication

This subcommittee:

• Reports and makes recommendations to the UGME Year 3&4 Curriculum Subcommittee.

Representatives of this subcommittee liaise with other academic and administrative committees and advisory councils, as needed.

Responsibilities

1. Maintains responsibility for the continuous quality improvement of the existing integrated programs and for the development and expansion of longitudinal integrated educational experiences for Year three students in the MD Undergraduate Program (MDUP). [8.4, 8.5]
   1. Collaborates with the Evaluation Studies Unit (ESU); receives and reviews evaluation reports on the ICC program, and follows-up on program improvement recommendations.[8.5]
   2. Develops a communications plan to ensure students, faculty and communities are well informed about and engaged in the planning processes for prospective integrated clerkship sites.
   3. Monitors progress and reviews developments in integrated clerkship programs in selected other medical schools and relevant published literature to identify examples of innovation and good practice.
2. Identifies potential sites for integrated clerkship programs and engages prospective clinical leaders from the community, including those from other health professions.
3. Ensures that ICC student outcomes are comparable to those of students in the rotational clerkship programs. [8.7]. Outcomes are measured by academic performance and demonstration of required exit competencies. [8.2]
   1. Reviews and evaluates any changes made to the overall ICC Student Assessment plan and ensures that these changes and the overall assessment plan itself are consistent with the Year three learning objectives. [9.4]
   2. Investigates and ensures implementation of appropriate educational technology in the delivery and support of the integrated clerkships. 
   3. In collaboration with the Year 3&4 Curriculum Subcommittee, identifies the overarching outcome objectives of the third year program and reframes as appropriate to the integrated clerkship including those related to interprofessional education and collaborative practice. [6.7], [7.9],[8.7]. Students are expected to achieve all the objectives of the existing clerkship program.
4. Ensures that matters relating to ICC Student assessment are bought to the attention of the Student Assessment Subcommittee.
5. Reviews, oversees and monitors the process for student selection for integrated clerkship sites in advance of each academic year.
   1. Develops a timely communications plan and information sessions to ensure interest amongst prospective student participants in Year one and Year two.
   2. As part of the recruitment process includes current integrated clerkship students and graduates from integrated clerkships in these information sessions.
6. Ensures that students’ performance and experiences are consistent with accreditation standards; and that the ICC program meets accreditation standards.[6.1], [8.7]
7. Ensures that new clinical teachers will be appointed to UBC faculty, have access to faculty development programs and receive feedback on their teaching performance.[4.5], [8.5]
8. In collaboration with the Office of Faculty Development, monitors current faculty development initiatives and assists in the planning of site-specific faculty educational initiatives and updates.[4.5]
9. When appropriate, brings to the attention of the Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (UGMEC) and the UGME Regional & Resources Advisory Council a considered and sustainable funding model and budget for the planning, implementation and evaluation of the integrated clerkship program.
10. Develops a communications plan for faculty, students and administrative staff in the distributed program to disseminate information about the working model of the integrated clerkship.
11. Reviews the terms of reference on an annual basis (usually in June) and recommends updates to the UGME Year 3&4 Curriculum Subcommittee, as needed.

Approval

This version of these terms of reference has been approved by the Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (UGMEC) on November 20, 2023.

Version History

• Approved by the MD Undergraduate Education Committee on December 12, 2022
• Endorsed by the Years 3&4 Subcommittee on October 11, 2022
• Endorsed by the ICC Subcommittee on October 3, 2022
• Approved by the MD Undergraduate Education Committee on April 23, 2018
• Endorsed by the Years 3&4 Curriculum Subcommittee on April 17, 2018
• Endorsed by the ICC Subcommittee on February 5, 2018
• Approved by the MD Undergraduate Education Committee on August 21, 2017
• Approved by the ICC Subcommittee on July 10, 2017
• Revised on July 7, 2017

8.4 Program Evaluation

A medical school collects and uses a variety of outcome data, including national norms of accomplishment, to demonstrate the extent to which medical students are achieving the medical education program objectives and to enhance the quality of the medical education program. These data are collected during program enrollment and after program completion.

8.5 Medical Student Feedback

In evaluating medical education program quality, a medical school has formal processes in place to collect and consider medical student evaluations of their required learning experiences, teachers, and other relevant aspects of the medical education program.

8.7 Comparability of Education/Assessment

A medical school ensures that the medical curriculum includes comparable educational experiences and equivalent methods of assessment across all locations within a given required learning experience to ensure that all medical students achieve the same learning objectives.

8.2 Use of Medical Educational Program Objectives

The faculty of a medical school, through the curriculum committee, ensure that the formally adopted medical education program objectives are used to guide the selection of curriculum content, to review and revise the curriculum, and to establish the basis for evaluating program effectiveness. The learning objectives of each required learning experience are linked to the medical education program objectives.

9.4 Assessment System

A medical school ensures that, throughout its medical education program, there is a centralized system in place that employs a variety of measures (including direct observation) for the assessment of student achievement, including students’ acquisition of the knowledge, core clinical skills (e.g., medical history-taking, physical examination), behaviors, and attitudes specified in medical education program objectives, and that ensures that all medical students achieve the same medical education program objectives.

6.7 Academic Environments

The faculty of a medical school ensure that medical students have opportunities to learn in academic environments that permit interaction with students enrolled in other health professions, graduate, and professional degree programs, and opportunities to interact with residents in clinical environments and with physicians in continuing medical education activities.

7.9 Interprofessional Collaborative Skills

The faculty of a medical school ensure that the core curriculum prepares medical students to function collaboratively on health care teams that include health professionals from other disciplines as they provide coordinated services to patients. These required curricular experiences include practitioners and/or students from the other health professions.

6.1 Program and Learning Objectives

The faculty of a medical school define its medical education program objectives in competency-based terms that reflect and support the continuum of medical education in Canada and allow the assessment of medical students’ progress in developing the competencies for entry into residency and expected by the profession and the public of a physician. The medical school makes these medical education program objectives known to all medical students and faculty members with leadership roles in the medical education program, and others with substantial responsibility for medical student education and assessment. In addition, the medical school ensures that the learning objectives for each required learning experience are made known to all medical students and those faculty, residents, and others with teaching and assessment responsibilities in those required experiences.

4.5 Faculty Professional Development

A medical school and/or the university provides opportunities for professional development to each faculty member (e.g., in the areas of teaching and student assessment, curricular design, instructional methods, program evaluation or research) to enhance his or her skills and leadership abilities in these areas.