Clinical Conferences: Endocrine Fellows Case Conference

Educational Purpose: To discuss a variety of diseases of endocrinology, metabolism, and nutrition in considerably greater depth than what can usually be accomplished in the ambulatory care clinics or bedside setting. Correlation with endocrine biochemistry, physiology, and pathophysiology is an integral part of the conference.

 

Teaching Method: This is a fellow-conducted conference: fellows have the responsibility of selecting appropriate cases and preparing presentations. Typically, one fellow will present 1-2 cases per conference in depth, followed by discussion and a presentation of teaching points or relevant literature as well.

 

Disease Mix: All endocrine diseases are discussed. Cases reflecting disorders that may be less commonly encountered in a typical ward or clinic experience are highlighted during this conference.

 

Procedures and Services: Appropriate use of biochemical testing, imaging, and biopsy, as well as review of techniques for the above studies, cytopathology, and pathology are discussed as relevant during conference.

 

Reading Lists and Educational Resources: An integral part of most conference sessions includes hand-out materials summarizing important points, with lists and resources on specific groups of endocrine diseases.

 

Evaluation: Fellows who present at conferences are evaluated by attending physicians who are present at conference. Their performance in this venue is part of the overall evaluation by attendings and the program director. Also see section on evaluation.

 

Specific aspects of the clinical conference-case conference experience: Fellows Case Conference represents a major teaching opportunity for both the individual fellow presenter as well as all those in attendance at these sessions. This allows teaching of important points from clinical endocrinology, and, as appropriate, biochemistry and pathophysiology, in a format that also permits open discussion and assessment of appropriate clinical decision-making.

 

Basic Science Conferences: Selected Endocrine Grand Round Sessions, Selected Endocrine Journal Club Sessions, Selected Fellows Didactic Course Sessions

Educational Purpose: To instruct trainees in the basic biochemistry, physiology, and pathophysiology of the endocrine system. Subject areas have included molecular biology, immunology as related to endocrinology and metabolism, signal transduction pathways, biology of hormone receptors and principles of hormone action, biology of sexual development, reproductive endocrinology, endocrine aspects of sexual dysfunction, among other topics.

Teaching Method: Faculty lead the conferences, which are usually in a seminar / open discussion format allowing interaction between the fellows and faculty speaker.

Evaluation: The faculty will evaluate fellows’ participation and interaction, while the fellows will also evaluate the effectiveness of the faculty in communicating the educational topics.

 

Basic Science Conferences are held on a MINIMUM monthly basis, in that Grand Rounds Conferences generally includes at least one session monthly devoted to a basic science topic; this is also well-supplemented by journal clubs and fellows didactic course sessions which alternate basic science topics with clinical discussions.

Additionally, many other basic science conferences take place within our institution on a daily basis in both basic science and clinical departments. Their schedules are posted throughout the medical center and its website and fellows are encouraged to attend as time allows.

 

Journal Club

Educational Purpose: To discuss a variety of both clinical and basic science aspects of endocrinology, metabolism, and nutrition in greater depth than at the bedside or ambulatory care setting, with an emphasis on emerging endocrine literature. Participation in the conference allows fellows additional training in critical appraisal of the literature, epidemiology, biostatistics, and clinical decision theory.

 

Teaching Method: Fellows are expected to accurately summarize AND critically appraise a paper from the endocrine literature: they present analyses of experimental groups and design, methodology of measurements, and of statistical analysis. The topic is open for an interactive discussion between the presenting fellow, the other fellows who are all in attendance at this session, and attendings who attend as well.

 

Disease Mix: Literature relating to all endocrine diseases are discussed.

Procedures and Services: As research concerning endocrine procedures or services is published; those papers may come under discussion in Journal Club

 

Reading Lists and Educational Resources: Most sessions include a handout with not only the journal article but also a summary and appraisal sheet.

 

Evaluation: Fellows who present at conferences are evaluated by attending physicians who are present at conference. Their performance in this venue is part of the overall evaluation by attendings and the program director. Also see section on evaluation. Additionally, fellows may evaluate faculty as facilitators of Journal Club and active participants.

 

Journal Club occurs on Thursdays of every other week; (the alternate Thursdays serve as teaching sessions during which Endocrine Board Review Questions are discussed among the fellows and attending educators).

 

Specific aspects of the journal club experience: Journal Club is unique in that it allows Endocrine Fellows to continue to develop and hone skills which are initially taught to them during residency: that of accurate and critical appraisal of the literature including attention to study design, methodology, and analyses. Further development of these skills develops physicians who not only can critically interpret the new endocrine literature but who also will focus this type of attention to detail in designing studies of their own.

 

 

Educational Purpose: To acquaint fellows with the status of current research carried out by the faculty, other fellows, members of other Divisions within the Department of Medicine, or other Departments at Duke Medical Center. Fellows can participate in interactive discussions during these sessions as well.

 

Teaching Method: Interactive discussion of presented research in the areas of clinical and basic science endocrinology and metabolism including design, analysis, and interpretation of the data. Those fellows actively participating in either basic or clinical research will present their research project to the division at least annually: all upper level fellows give Endocrine Grand Rounds at least once per year, and first-year fellows present topics of potential research interest twice yearly.

 

Disease Mix: Research may be presented that relates to any and all endocrine disease.

 

Specific aspects: Research Conferences are available to fellows in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition through a variety of venues, resulting in the realistic expectation that fellows attend Endocrine Research discussion sessions at least once monthly, and likely more often. Endocrine Grand Rounds occurs on a weekly basis in the division, and approximately at least twice monthly, Grand Rounds will be a presentation by either a fellow or division faculty in which the presenter’s on-going research is discussed in-depth. Additionally, the Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center provides weekly 60-90 minute presentation/discussion sessions wherein members of the endocrine division and experts from throughout the country present their research in the areas of nutrition and metabolism.