Chris Blackmore

Background

Chris completed his Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Calgary before going on to complete medical school at the University of Alberta. He is currently in his final year of general surgery at U of C.

During residency training, he developed an interest in medical education through his interactions with medical students and junior residents. This interest led him to take part in both small group and classroom teaching at the UofC medical school. Ultimately, he took off time between 2nd and 3rd year of residency to complete a Master of Science in Medical Sciences with a specialization in Medical Education through the UofC.

His main educational research interests are curricular design and transitions in medical education. He recently presented his research on the effectiveness transitional “boot camps” at the International Conference on Resident Education.

After residency, Chris will be heading to Halifax to pursue a fellowship in pediatric surgery at Dalhousie University.

Recent Research:

Targeted needs assessment for a transitional “boot camp” curriculum for pediatric surgery residents

Introduction:

Transition periods in medical education are associated with increased risk for learners and patients. For pediatric surgery residents, the transition to training is especially difficult as learners must adjust to new patient populations. In this study we perform a targeted needs assessment to determine the ideal content and format of a pediatric surgery boot camp to facilitate the transition to residency.

Methods:

A needs assessment survey was developed and distributed to pediatric surgery residents and staff across North America. The survey asked participants to rank 30 pediatric surgical diagnoses, 20 skills, and 11 physiological topics on two domains: “frequency” and “importance”. Items were then ranked using empirical methods. The survey also evaluated the preferred boot camp format.

Results:

In total, 12 residents and 23 staff completed the survey. No significant differences were identified between staff and residents in survey responses. The top 5 ranked topics identified for inclusion in a pediatric surgery transitional boot camp were: (1) fluid and electrolyte management, (2) appendicitis, (3) pediatric hernias, (4) nutrition and (5) pain management. The preferred format for a boot camp was 3–4 days in duration. For the physiological topics and pediatric surgical diagnoses, the preferred educational methods were problem based learning and e-learning, while for skill based topics the preferred educational methods were low and high fidelity simulation.

Conclusions:

Based on the results of the needs assessment survey, a novel pediatric surgery boot camp curriculum can be developed.

Further details on Chris’s research can be found as follows:

1. Blackmore, C., Austin, J., Lopushinsky, S., and Donnon, T. The Effects of Post Graduate Medical Education “Boot Camps” on Clinical Skills, Knowledge and Confidence: A Meta-Analysis. J Grad Med Ed 2014; 6(4):643-652.
2. Blackmore C, Lopushinsky S, Lockyer J, Oddone Paolucci E. Targeted needs assessment for a transitional “boot camp” curriculum for pediatric surgery residents. J Ped Surg 2015; 50(5):819-824.