Web-Based Learning Opportunity for Clinical Educators Scheduled for Spring 2015

During its fall 2014 meeting, the ASCO Board of Directors approved funding for an Online Clinical Educators Forum (OCEF), which will allow clinical faculty from all ASCO member institutions to meet electronically to share best practices, exchange clinical teaching philosophies, and strategize around their similar clinic-related interests and challenges. A date of April 10, 2015, has been set for the event.

Funding for the OCEF was granted through the Partnership Endowment (formerly the Partnership Foundation for Optometric Education). The forum is being developed by a working group of current and former ASCO Clinical Affairs Committee members under the direction of current member Dr. Richard Madonna. The planners hope their effort will help forge relationships between faculty members for personal enrichment as well as exploration of collaborative efforts in clinical research and clinic procedure development. A main goal of the OCEF is to provide economical access to the expertise of leaders in clinical education who can offer rapid-fire updates to clinical faculty on timely topics, late-breaking technology, treatments and compliance matters. The program is being developed in large part to help fulfill one of the charges of the ASCO Clinical Affairs Committee, which is to continue to identify ways for schools and colleges to informally share expertise and resources in clinical education, services, research and administration.

The event was originally envisioned as an on-site event with limited faculty participation, but the committee decided a webinar-based format would allow for connectedness across the schools and colleges, increased faculty participation and reduced overall costs and would fit more easily into the busy schedules of faculty members. Faculty will be able to log into the forum from their offices or homes. Part I of the program will consist of formal presentations on such topics as grading/remediation, new methods of clinical evaluation, Medicare compliance and career development. Part II will consist of a number of “ongoing breakout sessions” designed to allow participants to connect beyond the conclusion of the event.

For further information about the OCEF, contact ASCO staff liaison to the Clinical Affairs Committee Carol Brubaker. For more information about the Partnership Endowment, contact Christine Armstrong, ASCO’s Director of Development.