Colposcopy 101: a didactic curriculum to complement the clinical experience

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Gynecology
• Family Medicine

Background:

• Colposcopy is a crucial procedure in diagnosing cervical abnormalities.
• Effective training for family practice residents in colposcopy is essential for comprehensive patient care.
• Existing clinical training may benefit from supplementary didactic components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an innovative didactic curriculum for teaching colposcopy to family practice residents.
• To detail the structure and content of a weekly colposcopy conference.
• To evaluate the curriculum's role as an adjunct to clinical colposcopy experience.

Main Methods:

• Development of a weekly didactic curriculum integrated into a colposcopy conference.
• Curriculum components include core topic lectures (26 topics), pathology-correlate lectures, and a journal club.
• Pathology-correlate lectures integrate pathologic findings with clinical colposcopic examinations.
• Journal club facilitates systematic review and evaluation of colposcopy literature.

Main Results:

• The curriculum provides a structured approach to learning colposcopy from basic to advanced levels.
• Integration of pathology enhances understanding of colposcopic findings.
• Systematic literature review ensures residents are updated on current colposcopy research and best practices.

Conclusions:

• The developed didactic curriculum serves as an effective adjunct to clinical training for family practice residents in colposcopy.
• This comprehensive approach aims to improve resident competency and confidence in performing colposcopy.
• The curriculum model can be adapted for training in other procedural specialties.