Educational Resources Subcommittee

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison began its institutional self-study in preparation for the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) reaccreditation process in fall 2008.

The following members make up the Educational Resources Subcommittee:

• Gordon Ridley, MHA (Co-Chair)
• Thomas Grist, MD (Co-Chair)
• Peter Christman, MS 
• Robert Fillingame, PhD
• Alison Klein, MPA
• Daniel Marleau, MBA
• Heidi Marleau, MLIS
• Kenneth Mount, MPA
• Margaret Van Bree, MHA, DrPH
• Mark Wells, MS, AIA
• Anne Getzin, Med 2
• Megan Schultz, MA, Med 2

Questions Addressed by the Educational Resources Subcommittee

A. Finances

1. Discuss the stability of and the balance among the various sources of financial support for the medical education program and school (i.e., state and local appropriations, income from patient care, endowments, tuition income, research income, hospital revenues). Discuss the implications of any downward trends in specific revenue sources. Describe the financial prospects for the medical school over the next five years? Are there any departments in financial difficulty? Are there systems/policies in place to address departmental financial difficulties?

2. Comment on the degree to which pressures to generate revenue (from tuition, patient care, or research funding) affect the desired balance of activities of faculty members. What mechanisms are in place to protect the accomplishment of the educational mission?

3. Describe how the school has positioned the clinical enterprise (faculty practice plan/organization and structure of healthcare system) for best results in the local health care environment. Is planning related to the clinical enterprise occurring? How effective are these plans in meeting institutional goals?

4. Describe how present and future capital needs are being addressed. Is the financial condition of the school such that these needs can be met?

B. General Facilities

5. Evaluate the adequacy of the general facilities for teaching, research, and service activities of the medical school. Are the opportunities for educational excellence or educational change (e.g., introduction of small group teaching, opportunities for active learning) or for the attainment of other medical school missions constrained by space concerns? Describe the likelihood that needed space or space upgrading will be available in the near future. Have enrollment increases led to space constraints? If so, how are these constraints currently being addressed?

6. Discuss the adequacy of security systems on each campus and at affiliated sites.

C. Clinical Teaching Facilities

7. Analyze the resources for clinical teaching available to the medical education program. For the size of the student body, are there adequate numbers of patients and supervisors available at all sites? Has the school needed to expand its clinical teaching network to address either expanded enrollment or decreased patient volume? Is the patient mix appropriate? Are clinical facilities, equipment, and support services appropriate for exemplary patient care? Discuss the availability, quality, and sufficiency of ambulatory care facilities for teaching.

8. Describe and evaluate the interaction between the administrators of clinical affiliates used for teaching and the medical school administration. Does the level of cooperation result in a smoothly operating and effective clinical education program?

9. Describe and evaluate the level of interaction and cooperation that exists between the staff members of the clinical affiliates used for teaching and medical school faculty members and department heads, related especially to the education of medical students.

D. Information Resources and Library Services

10. Evaluate the quantity and quality of the print and non-print holdings of the library as a resource for medical students, graduate students, and faculty members.

11. Comment on the adequacy of information technology resources and services, particularly as they relate to medical student education. Are resources adequate to support the needs of the educational program? Are the information systems of the medical school and major clinical affiliates sufficiently well integrated to assure achievement of medical school missions? Note any problems, and describe any plans in place to address these problems.

12. Evaluate the usability and functional convenience of the library and of information resources. Are hours appropriate? Is assistance available? Is study space adequate? Are resources, such as computers and audiovisual equipment, adequate? Can students access information from affiliated hospitals or from home?

13. Assess the contributions of library and information technology staff to the education of medical students and the professional development of faculty members in the following areas:

• Teaching specific skills, such as instruction in computer usage and bibliographic search
• Retrieving and managing information
• Interaction with the curriculum committee to coordinate various library and information resources with planned curricular design