MacEssentials Tutor Training
Overview
McMaster Undergraduate Medical Education program
The UGME program at McMaster University is a 3-year program leading to the MD degree. The Pre-Clerkship comprises the first 15 months of the program and is divided into 5 units called Medical Foundations (MFs) plus 7 weeks of elective time in July and August. Our students learn through problem-based learning, in small tutorial groups of 6-8 students.
The MD Program is delivered across 3 sites, with campus locations in Hamilton, Waterloo and Niagara.
Who are our students?
The intention of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine is to prepare students to become physicians who have the capacity and flexibility to select any area in the broad field of medicine. There is no single background that is ideal preparation for the practice of medicine. Students with a university education in any discipline are encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate will have completed a rigorous and coherent course of study, which will provide evidence of an independent, self-directed, and mature learning style. The ideal candidate will also provide evidence of outstanding non-academic qualities, including altruism, reliability, responsibility, perseverance, creativity, and leadership, through this process.
Each year we accept 203 students into our undergraduate medical program, as well as 3 students into the MD/PhD stream.
What is a tutor?
A tutor is a faculty member who participates in small group, problem-based learning within the MD Program by acting as the facilitator for a group of 6-9 medical students during a curricular block called a Medical Foundation (MF). The length of the Foundations varies from 8 to 12 weeks.
Content and timing of the five Medical Foundations
| Medical Foundation | Content Areas | Dates | Faculty Resource Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| MF1 Director Darren de SA | Introduction to Medicine (co-Directors: T. Alexander, G. Inglis) Respirology (Planner: M. Graiss) Cardiology (Planner: R. Dillenburg) | Mid Aug – end Oct 11 weeks | Hamilton: 18 tutorial groups Waterloo: 4 tutorial groups Niagara: 4 tutorial groups |
| MF2 Director Meera Joseph | Renal System (Planner: V. Belostotsky) Hematology (Planner: M. Salib) | 8 weeks | Hamilton: 18 tutorial groups Waterloo: 4 tutorial groups Niagara: 4 tutorial groups |
| MF3 Director Steven Sovran | Gastroenterology (Planner: S. Albashir) Endocrinology (Planner: N. Husein) Reproduction (Planner: S. Amin) | 12 weeks | Hamilton: 18 tutorial groups Waterloo: 4 tutorial groups Niagara: 4 tutorial groups |
| MF4 Director Heather McLeod | Musculoskeletal Medicine | April – end June 12 weeks | Hamilton: 18 tutorial groups Waterloo: 4 tutorial groups Niagara: 4 tutorial groups |
| Integration Foundation Director Patricia Farrugia | Integration Foundation (Planner: H. Yousef, K. Zukotynski) | (2nd year) 12 weeks | Hamilton: 18 tutorial groups Waterloo: 4 tutorial groups Niagara: 4 tutorial groups |
Eligibility to become a tutor
- a McMaster faculty member and physician
- a Community physician with faculty appointment in process, with consent of the MF Director or Regional Campus Pre-clerkship Coordinator. Physician will be in good standing with their professional college.
A McMaster faculty member and scientist or McMaster faculty member and non-physician clinician may share tutoring with a physician faculty member but may not act as sole tutors.
Responsibilities of a tutor
- Tutor Training: Before becoming a tutor, the faculty member needs to complete the assynchronous e-modules, followed by attendance of the MacEssentials Workshop.
- MF Tutor Orientations: Tutors are also required to attend the MF Tutor Orientation session held before each Medical Foundation. This usually takes about an hour.
- Attend tutorials: The tutorial group will usually meet twice each week for about 3 hours each time. The tutorials are spaced so that one takes place at the beginning of the week and one at the end, to give the students time to prepare between tutorials. Monday/Thursday afternoon/evening or Tuesday/Friday afternoon/evening are the usual schedules. Tutorials can take place at whichever site is most convenient for the tutor. New tutors are generally assigned a co-tutor, with whom they split their tutorials. After completion of their first foundation tutors can decide whether they want to be a solo or co-tutor.
The tutor is not meant to "teach" in the traditional classroom sense, but instead to facilitate the learning process for the group. The tutor does not need to be a content expert in the areas being covered in the curricular block. The tutorial cases are provided to the tutors with a "Tutor Guide" which should provide sufficient information for tutors to guide the group even if it isn't their area of expertise. An understanding of PBL is essential.
- Assess students: In addition to attending the tutorials, the tutor is responsible for assessing the students in the areas of knowledge, skill and professional behaviour. This is done informally after most tutorials and formally, by online formal assessments at mid-unit and at the end of the unit.
- The mid-unit assessments must be clear, specific and timely so that the student has sufficient time and direction to remediate before the end of the unit if there is a problem.
- The end-unit assessment must be done in a timely way after the end of the Foundation. The summary box from the end-Foundation assessment appears word-for-word in the student's final transcript so it is very important to students.
- Mark CAEs: Several times during each MF, the students write an evaluation exercise called a Concept Application Exercise or CAE. CAEs provide tutors and students with regular feedback about knowledge acquisition during the MF. They are intended to serve as one factor among many that the tutor uses to evaluate the students. In addition, discussing the CAEs gives the group a chance to integrate concepts and identify gaps in their learning.
- Students evaluate tutor: In addition to the tutor evaluating the students, the students are asked to evaluate the tutor and these evaluations are provided to the tutor and their department.
- Stipend: There is a stipend paid by Education Services to the department of each faculty member who tutors. The amount varies with the length of the Foundation and may change from year to year.
- Educational credits: Faculty members receive educational credit for tutoring.
Next steps in becoming a tutor with the UGME program
1. Complete the asynchronous e-modules (see instructions below)
- Mac-Essentials of PBL Tutoring (complete course, 4 units)
- Professionalism in Clinical Learning (2 units: module on Feedback Management and module on E-Professionalism)
2. Send an email with the following information to toddd2@mcmaster.ca:
- certificate of completion of MacEssentials of PBL Tutoring as an attachment
- certificate of completion of Professionalism in Clinical Learning (2 modules) as an attachment
- include your full name, your department and which campus you are interested in joining
- if you are not a physician please see eligibility criteria above and mention this in your email
3. A Zoom invite to the next workshop will be sent to you as confirmation of registration
4. an Email with further details and prep materials will be sent to you one week prior to the date of the workshop
5. After completion of MacEssentials you will be asked which Medical Foundations you are interested in tutoring and you will be added to our recruitment lists.
Asynchronous e-modules
Access to asynchronous e-modules:
- Visit CPDonline.mcmaster.ca and register an account.
- Login the platform with the active username and password.
- Click on "All courses" and add PBL tutoring in the search bar.
- To enroll as a learner, enter the access key "mac2024/25" in the second field of the enrollment section.
- After completion use this link for the Professionalism in Clinical Learning course and complete the two modules Feedback Management and E-Professionalism
- Remember to download both certificates!
--OR—
- If you already have an account you can use this link to get to the Mac-Essentials of PBL Tutoring course
- To enroll as a learner, enter the access key "mac2024/25" in the second field of the enrollment section.
- After completion use this link for the Professionalism in Clinical Learning course and complete the two modules Feedback Management and E-Professionalism
- Remember to download both certificates!
MacEssentials Workshop
The workshop is offered several times throughout the year, prior to the next foundation. It is held virtually via Zoom and around 90 minutes long.
Prior completion of all e-modules is tracked and a pre-requisite to participating in the workshop.
Dates for upcoming workshops:
December, 11, 2024 2024 at 6 pm
March 19, 2025 at 6 pm
June 11, 2025 at 6 pm
September 2025 (TBD)