• Advising is crucial for the success of assessment portfolios in medical education and thus training of advisors is important.

 

• In addition to traditional workshops, advisors can benefit from building a learning community which serves as a forum for continuous growth, learning and improvement.

 

• According to Peter Senge, Systems Thinking, Personal Mastery, Mental Models,Shared Vision and Team Learning are disciplines that can foster the development of such a community. Once committed to continuous growth, consensus building and ownership around the group's vision allows members to model the actions they want to develop.

• Advising is important for the success of assessment portfolios but fits the conceptual framework of complex adaptive challenge.

 

• While advisors are chosen for experience, interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, they may not come to the advising table with all the necessary competencies.

 

• A learning community, by creating a network of peer mentors, can facilitate skill development, but requires an intentional approach, regular meetings and reflection in a supportive environment.

 

• Challenges, and lessons learned led to can serve to refine skills and support the development of a robust training program which can facilitate necessary skill development.

Rather than relying on the variable expertise of Faculty Advisors, building a learning community is a deliberate approach to skill acquisition for portfolio advising.  By creating a network of peer mentors, the group can build on systems thinking and through successes, challenges and lessons learned in a supportive environment, stretch the ability of the group to grow and develop new skills needed for effective advising.  

A learning community (Senge) involves:

• Building a culture of systems thinking,
• Fostering personal mastery and the desire for continuous learning,
• Articulating shared vision
• Promoting team learning 

Themes, developed from feedback during weekly advising meetings and student feedback, were used to identify new skills for successful advising. Planned faculty development workshops then provided standardization of advising approaches in many areas including:

• Boundary Setting
• Conflict management
• Learning plan development
• Student remediation guidelines
• Crucial conversations
• Engaging reflective practice among students

However, it was the weekly meeting forum where advisors met that provided an intentional approach to managing advising issues that arose.  The group practiced reflection on several encountered advising challenges in a supportive environment that provided the learning and fine tuning necessary for effective advising.

 

 

Physician Advisor Feedback on Advising Role	Mean
I know when to bring concerns regarding a student to the    Physician Committee for review and consultation	3.7
I know when to refer students to the Associate Dean of Student    Affairs for additional evaluation or intervention	3.6
I know when to present a student for potential referral to the    Promotions and Review Committee	3.5
I know when to refer students for additional support such as time  management, career or mental health counseling, etc.	3.6
I believe I am able to identify “at risk” medical students	3.3
I enjoy being a physician advisor to CCLCM students	3.9
Responses: (SD) Strongly Disagree=1 (D) Disagree=2 (A) Agree=3 (SA) Strongly Agree=4

I would like to acknowledge Dr James Young, Executive Dean of Cleveland Cinic College of Medicine of Case Western for his support of my work.

                Senge, Peter et al.  The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook:  Strategies and Tools For Building A Learning Organization.

 

Epstein RM, Hundert EM,.  Defining and Assessing Professional Competence.  JAMA 2002; 287(2): 226-235.

 

 Dreissen, Erik, et al.  Portfolios in Medical Eduation;Why do they meet with mixed success? A Systematic Review Med Ed. 2007: 1224.