Hosting a Resident-Led Lifestyle Medicine CME to Facilitate Curriculum Integration and Impact Community Practice

Abstract Background: Implementation of a new curriculum is difficult. To help facilitate adoption of Lifestyle Medicine within the residency program and the wider community, the R3 class hosted a CME focused on Lifestyle Medicine. This helped reinforce their learning from the first year of curriculum implementation and educate their peers.

Abstract Methods: Swedish First Hill Family Medicine Residency implemented the Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum in the 2022-2023 academic year. In response to the introduction of this curriculum, the third-year residents (R3s) selected the theme for their capstone CME to be Lifestyle Medicine. The R3s work with faculty and program administrators to design and create the content for a CME course that is advertised to alumni and the wider Providence community. The format for these talks has been virtual since 2020, which has extended the impact on a potential audience. Following the CME, a 13-question survey was sent to all participants.

Abstract Results: There were a total of 81 people registered for the conference and 60 people in attendance, including the presenters. 17 responses were collected from the post-CME survey. 15/17 were in family medicine and 7 of those 15 were R3s. 6/7 of these R3s reported a change from some familiarity to high familiarity of LM, and 6/8 presenters reported that having the LMRC influenced the CME topic. 8/8 reported that presenting on this topic significantly impacted their understanding of LM. 5/8 reported a change in their practice of LM after this presentation.

Respondents highlighted changes in both personal and professional behavior in response to this CME. Limitations of this study include retroactive data collection, which may have introduced recency bias, and lack of long-term data to gauge practice change. Additionally, the applicability of hosting a regional CME to other programs implementing the LMRC may vary based on their GME office support.

Abstract Conclusion: Having resident learners organize and deliver a CME provides opportunities to strengthen their teaching skills and cement their learning in a way that engages active adult learning theory. The combination of peer teaching and protected time for a CME improved both presenter and attendee understanding and practice of lifestyle medicine.

Funding: N/A

Conflict of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest related to this research.