Recipients of OMeGA Medical Grants Association’s first Core Competency Innovation (CCI) grants presented posters detailing their projects during the Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors member meeting in June at the 2011 American Orthopaedic Association annual meeting in Boston. CCI grants are intended to support residency programs in teaching the six ACGME core competencies: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice.

The 2010–2011 CCI grants supported projects at the following residency programs: University of Iowa Hospitals; University of Minnesota; Ohio State University; University of California, Davis; Northwestern University; University of California, San Francisco; University of Vermont; University of Manitoba; Scott & White Memorial Hospital; and John Peter Smith Hospital.

The University of Vermont used its OMeGA grant to design a program using simulation scenarios to assess residents’ competency in systems-based practice.

Other academic projects included the following:

• Strengthening interpersonal relationships through participation in Dale Carnegie courses (John Peter Smith Hospital)
• Determining whether clinician–patient communications were different if only residents participated or if both residents and nurses participated (Scott & White Memorial Hospital)
• Developing self-audit forms for knee arthroscopy to measure motor skills (University of Manitoba)

Four orthopaedic surgeons also made short presentations at the AOA meeting. Julie Y. Bishop, MD, Ohio State University, correlated musculoskeletal anatomy and physical exam skills in a comprehensive anatomy program; Rolando F. Roberto, MD, University of California, Davis, investigated adoption of a universal validated tool to measure resident surgical skills; J. L. Marsh, MD, University of Iowa, simulated a surgical setting using an articular fracture method to assess surgical skills; and Ann E. Van Heest, MD, University of Minnesota, studied the possibility of providing a basic joint arthroscopy skill set and knowledge base using an arthroscopy simulator.

Apply for 2011–2012 CCI grants
Applications for CCI grants for the 2011–2012 academic year will be accepted from Aug. 15 through Sept. 15, 2011. The OMeGA Residency Review Committee encourages diverse and innovative thinking; defined measurement and evaluation phases are critical to getting a proposal accepted. Projects that benefit more than just a few residents and those that have the potential to be easily duplicated by other programs are preferred. Orthopaedic residency programs in the Americas may apply for a grant up to $20,000.

For more information and to apply, visit the website, www.omegamedicalgrants.org or e-mail info@omegamedicalgrants.org

Zimmer is the sole donor for the CCI grant category.

Rhonda Taira, director, grants management, OMeGA Medical Grants Association can be reached at taira@omegamedicalgrants.org