Resources for Week Leads in Years 1 & 2 of the MD Undergraduate Program

As a Week Lead, you are a critical link in ensuring that what is intended by the Session and Week Objectives is what is actually delivered and assessed within your curricular week.

Each curricular week within Years 1&2 focuses on a new clinical presentation and is supported by a Case-Based Learning (CBL) case, lectures, small group workshops, and labs.

In some weeks, there might be sessions that are part of a theme- or area of content expertise-based longitudinal curriculum such as Lifestyle Medicine, Indigenous Health, Anatomy, Genetics and Genomics, or Public Health Prevention and Control.

The MDUP curriculum depends on content being spiralled from Years 1-4, with seamless integration of systems, themes, and areas of content expertise.  In other words, session objectives need to map to week objectives, and then to course outcomes and finally to the enabling competencies students are required to achieve prior to clerkship.

*AFMC – The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada
*EPA – Entrustable Professional Activities
*CanMEDS – Canadian Physician Competency Framework

This mapping is not only an important accreditation standard, but will also ensure our students conclude their undergraduate training with the intended knowledge, skills and behaviours.

To support this goal, as a Week Lead you will collaborate with the Course Director(s) and System/Theme/Areas of Content Expertise Leads to ensure the content covered in your week is appropriately situated within the System/Theme/Area of Content Expertise spiral and is mapped to course outcomes and the enabling competencies to achieve prior to Clerkship.

For a list and detailed description of the MDUP Systems/Themes/Areas of Content Expertise, you can read or download the document Systems & Themes Definitions.

For the a full position description of the Week Lead role, you can read or download Position Description – Week Lead – Years 1 and 2. 

Key principles of teaching with a generalism lens:

• • Teach whole person care
  • Forster strong doctor-patient relationships
  • Prepare students for navigating complexity and uncertainty
  • Promote prevention and coordination
  • Foster inclusive and collaborative teaching
  • Adapt, design and deliver content to promote respect of the scope and role of generalism

We recognize that you are likely already incorporating elements of generalism into your teaching and professional practice. While the term “generalism” provides a label, it exists as a range, with individuals engaging with it in varying ways and to different extents.

Specific Responsibilities at Each Phase

Weekly Topics

This chart provides an overview of all weekly topics in MEDD 411, MEDD 412, MEDD 421 and MEDD 422. 

If you want more detailed information about how session content fits within the course and the week curriculum, you can:

• • Download the following PDF to see the curricular weeks linked to a summary of that week’s objectives: Year 1 and 2 Curricular Weeks and Week Objectives
  • Explore the detailed learning objectives for your (or any) session and how they are linked to the week objectives on Entrada

The Educational Activity Form (EAF) is the tool the Faculty of Medicine uses to collect accurate curricular information for each session of the MD Undergraduate Program. There is an EAF for each session of the program and each form is pre-populated with the curricular content from last academic year. The EAF workflow helps to satisfy Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) Accreditation Standards 6 and 8 (see CACMS Standards and Elements).

• • Read the Educational Activity Forms (EAF) – Frequently Asked Questions from the Curriculum Management Unit.
  • For an explanation / instruction for each field of an EAF, read the guide Educational Activity Form Field Meanings and Notes

Writing Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)

Faculty (lecturers and session leads) are asked to create 2-3 Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) that map to the Objectives covered in their lecture/session, are appropriate to the level of learning of the students, and are embedded in generalism principles. Week Leads are also responsible for soliciting/creating and mapping MCQs for their Week’s exam bank, and selection of MCQs to assess the Week’s content to be included in formative quizzes and summative examination.

Read the guide Writing Effective Multiple Choice Questions. 

Teacher Assessment

Through a more formal process, medical students provide feedback to teachers at the end of a required learning experience, such after a lecture or a cluster of small group sessions. To limit student survey burden, teachers won’t be assessed each time they teach.

Learn more about how teachers are assessed. 

Downlaod the PDF: Assessment of Teacher by Student FAQ Info sheet for Faculty and Teachers 

*This resource includes an outline of when teachers will be assessed by students. 

Curriculum Leads (including Week Leads) can propose changes/additions to the existing curriculum. If such proposals involve a change to the current Week Objectives (e.g., creation of a new session/lecture), such proposal will need to be presented to Curriculum Leadership for feedback and endorsement prior to implementation.

The flowchart below depicts the steps and committees involved in the approval of new curricular initiatives. For more information on how to initiate this process, Week Leads can reach out to their respective Course Director and/or the Associate Director of Curriculum, Years 1&2.

Audience Response Sytems – Slido

This website and PowerPoint plugin is an easy-to-use Q&A and polling platform for live, remote or hybrid learning events. Students participate by simply connecting to the Slido (pronounced as Sly-doe) website using an event code or QR code to access. Consider incorporating strategies to engage and encourage student participation and case-based presentations in your lecture.

Visit the EdTech Slido User Guide to learn more or to get assistance with integrating Slido into your lecture.