Winter 2013 (Volume 23, Number 4)

Education Committee

By Christopher Penney, MD, FRCPC

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The CRA became an accreditor of continued professional development (CPD) for the Royal College in 2011. We will be re-applying for accreditor status over the course of 2014. This is a very necessary but time-consuming and expensive process.

During 2013, the CPD subcommittee provided accreditation reviews for the CRA Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) as well as for the Society of Atlantic Rheumatologists (SOAR), the Ontario Rheumatology Association (ORA), the Sjogren’s Society, and Credit Valley Rheumatology. Online programs were co-developed with mdBriefcase on clinical trial appraisal, the CRA RA guidelines, and current trends in RA. At the ASM this year, a workshop on accreditation was held by the Royal College and attended by members of the CRA Education Committee.

As of the fall of 2013, the Education section of the CRA website is now open. This is a work in progress; if you have any educational materials that you wish to share with your colleagues nationally, please contact Christine Charnock at christine@rheum.ca.

The CRA has established a Practice Reflection Award to encourage
CRA members to develop CPD self-assessment/practice reflection programs that can be used to improve rheumatology practice in Canada.
If you are interested in applying for the Award, please go to the Awards
section on the CRA website for further information (www.rheum.ca/en/the_cra/Awards).

The Patient Partners In Arthritis subcommittee continues to search for a way to fund Patient Partners at the national level. The CRA turned down our request for support. We are currently negotiating with The Arthritis Society (TAS). If you have any suggestions, please contact me at penney@ucalgary.ca.

We welcome any CRA member with a special interest in CPD or other aspects of rheumatology education to join the committee. Dr. Jodie Reis, Dr. Aurore Fifi-Mah, and Dr. Dharini Mahendira have joined us this past year. We especially need members from Quebec. The CRA will pay your out of pocket expenses for training if you choose to become an accreditation reviewer. If you have a special interest in undergraduate or postgraduate education, you canjoin the CanREAL subcommittee. Please email me for further information.

Christopher Penney, MD, FRCPC
Associate Clinical Professor,
University of Calgary
Rheumatologist,
Richmond Road Diagnostic & Treatment Center
Calgary, Alberta