Medical science is a never-ending process of ideas and evolutions, making it an industry ripe for innovation. Whether it’s a lifesaving vaccine, pharmaceutical treatment or new kind of medical device, the innovation needs to go through clinical trials.
Though not all residents will be involved in clinical trials throughout their medical careers, most will have some sort of involvement in human subject research. An online AMA module helps residents better understand the ethics behind these types of studies.
“Understanding Clinical Trials” is just one of the AMA GME Competency Education Program offerings, which include more than 50 courses that residents can access online on their own schedules through their residency program’s subscription. The program also features six faculty development courses.
The AMA GME Competency Education Program delivers education to help institutions more easily meet Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education common program requirements. Modules cover five of the six topics—patient care, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and system-based practice—within the core competency requirements. The sixth requirement, medical knowledge, is one that is typically addressed during clinical education.
Among the program’s experts are several who contributed to the AMA’s Health Systems Science textbook, which draws insights from faculty at medical schools that are part of the Association’s ChangeMedEd initiative.
Current program subscribers have access to award-winning online education designed for residents on the go. It’s easy to use and saves time with simple tracking and reporting tools for administrators. Learn more.
In-depth look at clinical trials
To best prepare residents for the potential of participating in clinical trials, the AMA module outlines the terms associated with clinical trials and the phases of drug testing, then traces the evolution of guidelines for ethical conduct of clinical research. Residents are also given information about the organizations responsible for monitoring clinical trials and an explanation of what to know before beginning a clinical trial.
It is important to understand that innovation takes time, and there are four key phases in the development of a new medication. Those phases focus on:
- Safety and dosage ranges.
- Short-term efficacy and side effects in the target population.
- Effectiveness and adverse effects.
- Post-approval studies.
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Ethical conduct is incredibly important when it comes to clinical trials. There have been a number of policies and reports issued to outline and protect this conduct:
- The Nuremburg Code established the concept of voluntary, informed consent.
- The Declaration of Helsinki expanded on The Nuremburg Code.
- The Belmont Report identified the principles that should inform any clinical research conducted on people.
Many residents will not get the opportunity to take part in clinical trials, but if you are one who will participate, it is important to know best practices and the types of questions you should be asking before joining a clinical research project.
Dive deeper:
- New AMA resource helps overstretched GME program directors
- Long-term commitment needed for more inclusive clinical trials
- Building lesson plans to make medical residents better teachers
Easy to track progress
Residency program directors have access to dashboards and reports that provide a view of progress at the program and institution levels. In addition, customizable reports make it easy to track learner performance and demonstrate compliance for accreditation.
The AMA GME Competency Education Program covers topics including well-being, quality improvement and patient safety, residents as teachers, navigating health systems, health equity, professionalism and faculty development. Faculty access is included at no additional cost. Schedule a meeting to discuss your organization’s needs.
