A little birdie told me so: Revising the CanMEDS Manager Role for 2015

In mid December, I wrote about the process to update CanMEDS.  With the first phase (series 1 of 4) of the CanMEDS 2015 framework released, there are a number of new elements that are drawing comments from the medical education community. Today, the co-chairs of the “Manager Role” Expert Working Group (EWG), discuss changes to the Manager Role.

Enter Deepak and Ming-Ka.

–  Jonathan (@sherbino)

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By Deepak Dath (@drddath) and Ming-Ka Chan (@MKChan_RCPSC)

We are waiting… excitedly. You see, launching the first draft of the revision of the 2005 Manager Role has been like sending out messenger pigeons.  We folded up the first draft, marked Series 1, and tied it to the ankles of messenger pigeons before releasing them into the sky.  They will alight on many windowsills in the next little while. Unfurling our message, some readers will smile, others will knit their brows and yet others may frown or snarl before responding.  Then the little birdies will return with the reactions of those who read the results of our group’s initial work.  We must take into account all these reactions as we move towards the final version of CanMEDS 2015.

The message from the Manager Role EWG (Expert Working Group) includes a proposal to have physicians take greater responsibility, in collaboration with others, for patient safety.  Physicians must build safety into the system of health care and improve the quality of health care delivery. They must also engage in the process of leveraging health informatics in the service of health care.  There is a stronger message for physicians to act as stewards of the resources in the health care system. They must choose wisely when making decisions that balance what is right for their patient with what is available for all patients sharing those same resources.  Whether they teach, perform administrative duties or do research in addition to caring for patients, they have to balance their professional activities with life at home.

The most obvious change to the Role has been a proposal to change the title from ‘Manager’ to ‘Leader.’ Inclusion of enhanced leadership competencies is in response to feedback from the first phase of public consultation.  The EWG heavily debated the alternative title ‘Manager-Leader’.

So what do you think?  Check out the new Leader Role framework. What do you think of the changes? Did we miss something?  Did we put in too much or make it too complicated? Send in your opinions or post a comment below.

For centuries, people have been opening windows to read messages.  Now, we sit at our computers, waiting for the little beep that tells us to open a window for the returning little birdies to tell us what you think.