As the Journal of Graduate Medical Education (JGME) moves into its next decade of growth, the staff and Editorial Board continue looking for new and better ways to find a wider audience. So, along with the August 2020 issue, JGME is excited to introduce the sixth episode of the JGME Podcast, Hot Topics in MedEd.
What began almost as an experiment in November 2019 has evolved and is now available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. With it, JGME joins other MedEd podcasts, like KeyLIME from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, providing another way for the GME community to engage with content during a commute, walk, or busy morning routine (or wherever you listen to your podcasts!). Past topics have ranged from the future of academic writing and publishing to remote e-work to a step-by-step guide for new authors wanting to submit to JGME.
JGME Editorial Assistant Emily Barnash, who has overseen the podcast’s production, says, “This project started out as a new way to disseminate our papers. The initial idea was to have one episode accompany each of the editorial articles in our 10-year anniversary year. We have now evolved to conversations between the JGME editors, staff, and leaders and experts in the GME community, highlighting articles and important topics within graduate medical education. We hope the podcast is a resource for all members of the GME community to learn and connect.”
The latest podcast episode is a timely one: Virtual Interviews and Recruitment in the Era of COVID-19. This month, JGME Deputy Editor Lainie Yarris, MD, talks with author Kathy Chretien, MD, about her upcoming article on the challenges of not being able to see resident applicants in person this year and how difficult it can be for those applicants to get a sense of where they might best fit. She discusses how online services, such as video tours and “virtual dinners,” while perhaps not ideal, can help now that in-person options aren’t available. Dr. Chretien’s article on this subject, along with two others on virtual interviews, will officially be published in the October issue of JGME, but pre-print versions are available online early.
The just-out August issue of the journal continues to feature a special section of COVID-19-related material that was introduced in the June issue, exploring the challenges of teaching, learning, and coping with the pandemic.
Research and perspectives also appearing in this issue cover vital and sometimes controversial topics, such as whether or not USMLE scores are valid measures for chief resident selection and why some residents and fellows, faculty members, and program directors may not always be honest on the ACGME’s annual Resident/Fellow and Faculty Surveys for fear of putting their programs at risk.
We hope you will visit www.jgme.org to read, listen, and spread the word to your colleagues.
Guest blogger Kevin Gladish is an editorial associate on the staff of the Journal of Graduate Medical Education and a program associate with the ACGME Field Activities staff in the Department of Accreditation, Recognition, and Field Activities. He’s been at the ACGME for three and a half years, and is also a “live lit” performer, writer, and storyteller.