PARAphrase Fall 2012

PARAphrase/PARA’s conference sponsorship program
A Resident Physician’s Experience at the
CANADIAN CONFERENCE
on Medical Education
PARA’s Conference
SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM
As per our mission, PARA desires to continue improving the wellbeing
of its members both by being an advocate for quality education
and by developing and supporting educational opportunities for
PARA members and volunteers. PARA’s values and long-term goals
also prioritize resident physician education and resident physician
wellness. (View PARA's values and long-term goals at http://www.
para-ab.ca/about/mission-and-vision.) To this end, PARA has
developed a Conference Sponsorship Program to provide funding for
resident physicians to attend select conferences.
Dr. Thomas Stark
Psychiatry Resident Physician | University of Calgary
Last spring, I was provided with a unique opportunity to
attend the Canadian Conference on Medical Education
(CCME) with financial support provided by PARA. The
CCME brings together a wide variety of leaders in medical
education research from all over the world. The conference
represents an opportunity to learn about cutting-edge
research related to the education of medical professionals.
I attended various workshops and talks on research around
using e-learning resources, application of principles of conflict
resolution, managing the transitions experienced by the trainee,
and professional identity formation.
Having recently enrolled in a master’s degree in medical
education, this conference provided an unparalleled
opportunity to hone the research skills that I intend to apply
in my own thesis work and beyond. Talks and workshops
on research design, use of qualitative versus quantitative
methodologies, and using social research methods in medical
education will likely prove very useful in my own development
as a researcher. Thanks to this opportunity, I now feel more
confident and competent as a future researcher in the field of
medical education.
This year, the conferences for which sponsorship for attendance is
available are as follows:
The International Conference of Physician Health (ICPH)
October 25 - 27, 2012 in Montreal
The Canadian Conference on Medical Education (CCME)
April 20 - 23, 2013 in Quebec City
In addition to meeting the education and wellness focus of PARA’s
mission statement, the ICPH and the CCME allow PARA to address
two of its long-term goals by encouraging resident physician
education and providing that opportunity in the areas of physician
wellness and medical education. Moreover, with respect to the
CCME, it has the added benefit of fostering an interest in and
understanding of the medical education system itself. The hope is
that by encouraging this focus, PARA will positively influence the
next generation of physicians to stay committed to educating the
generations that follow them.
For each of the above listed conferences, PARA will reimburse the
expenses (up to a maximum of $2000) of one resident physician
from the University of Alberta, one from the University of Calgary,
and one PARA volunteer. In order to apply, resident physicians
must submit a one-page summary indicating who they are, their
leadership experience, and why they wish to attend the conference.
Watch your monthly PARA E-blasts or visit the PARA website for
more information on these sponsorship opportunities: http://www.
para-ab.ca/news/courses-and-conferences.
www.para-ab.ca | volume 29 fall 2012 16