Enhanced Skills Program: Adolescent Medicine Program Goals and Objectives

Rotations

•    This is a 6-month self-directed program 
•    Residents will be allowed to arrange their own rotations based on their interests and learning needs
•    Rotations may include but are not limited to: 
          o    Sexual health clinics 
          o    Adolescent psychiatry/mood disorders
          o    General pediatrics and adolescent medicine
          o    Eating disorders clinics 
          o    Youth shelters 
          o    Pediatric/adolescent gynecology 
          o    School clinics 

 

Medical Expert

Residents will be able to: 
•    Understand that adolescent patients have unique healthcare needs that are distinct from the pediatric population and the adult population
•    Learn to take a focused history and conduced relevant physical examination of adolescent patients, including mental health concerns, screening for sexual activity and substance use
•    Learn to identify at-risk youth in childhood and provide community resources for families and adolescent patients, including counselling options, youth shelters, and community centers 
•    Develop broad differential diagnoses for presentations of symptoms and disorders common in adolescent patients
•    Establish and maintain up-to-date clinical knowledge, skills, and attitudes in areas which may include the following as set up by the fellow in consultation with the program director and in accordance with the principles of adult learning: 
        o    Sexual health including: 
                  Identification of high-risk sexual activity 
                  Contraception
                  Sexually transmitted infections 
        o    Adolescent Gynecology
        o    Mental health in adolescents including
                  Mood disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety)
                  Personality disorders
                  Eating disorders 
        o    Principles of psychotherapy including:
                  Cognitive behavioural therapy
                  Dialectic behavioural therapy 
        o    At risk youth including LGBTQ+ youth, homeless or vulnerably housed youth, and youth who are victims of sex trafficking  
                  Principles of hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery  

 

Communicator

Residents will: 
•    Provide a unique and individualized approach to develop strong rapport and trust with each patient and his/her family
•    Develop the skills to provide basic psychotherapy and counselling using evidence based techniques 
•    Gain experience in the use of motivational interviewing techniques in the management of adolescent patients
•    Communicate effectively with adolescent patients and their families to maximize health promotion
•    Develop management plans with the involvement of patients and their families that aim to meet their physical and mental health needs
•    Convey effective oral and written information about their medical encounters 

 

Collaborator

Residents will: 
•    Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team providing holistic care for the physical, mental and social health adolescent patients
•    Utilize the skillsets of other types of professionals including youth support workers, teachers, and counsellors to provide care that accounts for the adolescent’s psychosocial context 
•    Learn the roles and capabilities of each of the members of the health care teams in the various settings and utilize the skillsets of the allied health care professionals to provide a broad scope of practice
•    Work effectively with other health professionals to prevent and resolve interprofessional conflict  

 

Leader

Residents will be able to: 
•    Identify and provide community resources for adolescent patients and families including counseling services, addiction services, parent groups, and other children mental health services  
•    Participate in continuous learning regarding ongoing health initiatives for youth  
•    Educate colleagues regarding important screening and management for adolescent patients and provide guidance on referrals
•    Serve in administration and leadership roles affiliated with adolescent health 
•    Maintain comprehensive family medicine skills in addition to enhanced skills in adolescent medicine 

 

Health Advocate

Residents will be able to: 
•    Educate patients and families about physical and mental health conditions common in adolescent patients 
•    Identify at-risk patients and the social determinants of health that might be affecting them both on individual and community levels
•    Respond to individual patient’s health needs by providing health services, education and counselling on specific concerns 
•    Connect youth and families with appropriate resources beyond clinical care 
•    Advocate for adolescent and youth needs as appropriate on local, provincial, national, and international levels 

 

Scholar

Residents will be able to: 
•    Engage in continuous enhancement of knowledge through ongoing learning
•    Develop the skills to teach trainees, physician colleagues and other health care professionals about health issues, clinical approaches and management of adolescents 
•    Evaluate existing evidence for management approaches for adolescent illnesses and concerns and integrate best available evidence into practice
•    Contribute to development of adolescent health management and practices

 

Professional

Residents will be able to: 
•    Apply best practices to patients to ensure optimal care and patient safety
•    Continue to work on quality improvement affiliated with this area of medicine 
•    Ensure accountability to the profession by adhering to high ethical standards
•    Respect patient confidentiality and the adolescent’s autonomy to make healthcare decisions