Winter 2016 (Volume 26, Number 4)
Training the Rheumatologists of Tomorrow (TROT): Addressing Human Resource Needs
By Diane Crawshaw, TROT Project Coordinator
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In order to overcome the severe shortage of rheumatologists in Canada, we need more trainees at the postgraduate level; in 2012, we began a multiphase program funded by the CRA to help address this issue. Our aim was to produce and disseminate evidence-based messages about rheumatology for medical students and internal medicine residents, so that their future career choices would take into account first-hand knowledge about our subspecialty. We also wanted to form a pan-Canadian consortium of rheumatology programs to conduct and disseminate this work.
Having attained these goals over the last three years is a significant accomplishment for our national team led by Drs. Alfred Cividino and Kim Legault. During this time, the “Training the Rheumatologists of Tomorrow” (TROT) project developed a set of tools for educators, formed new partnerships across the country and disseminated findings at conferences, professional meetings, in a peer-reviewed journal and on the CRA website. We also mounted the #MakeRheum for Rheumatology campaign to encourage students to “make room” for an experience in rheumatology.
The resulting products are housed on the CRA website—please use them in your lectures and presentations. Print them, enlarge them and put them on your walls! In the spring of 2016, we sent a large package to each program that included laminated and mounted hero posters, the banner, and printouts of the slide deck of reasons to consider rheumatology (French versions were sent to our francophone programs). T-shirts were also distributed. Dr. Shirley Tse at the University of Toronto went one step further and had shirts printed for the whole group! So have fun with the materials and encourage your students to #MakeRheum for Rheumatology!
SickKids Rheumatology Recruits ready in their fight against rheumatic disease.
Most recently, with help from one of our rheumatology trainees, Caroline Barry from Dalhousie, a Facebook page and a Twitter account have been launched. Please visit both and encourage your undergraduate and internal medicine residents to visit and “like” them to find out more about rheumatology. Also, if you have material to post to the page, contact Virginia Hopkins at the CRA. Let’s make rheumatology accessible to our students.
The next steps for TROT and #MakeRheum will be to expand the number of available opportunities for learner experiences in rheumatology across Canada. We encourage all programs to use the materials developed and to #MakeRheum for rheumatology!
Diane Crawshaw
TROT Project Coordinator,
Canadian Rheumatology Association
Hamilton, Ontario
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