Social Learning Theory and Continuing Professional Development in Health Professions Education

In this episode, Victoria Brazil speaks with Louise Allen about her recent Medical Teacher publication on Applying Social Learning Theory to explain the impacts of Continuing Professional Development. Her paper, with co-authors Marg Hay, Elizabeth Armstrong, and Claire Palermo, is an exemplar of qualitative research and involved semi-structured interviews with previous Harvard Macy and Monash Institute for Health and Clinical Education program participants. The team found that scholars broadened their networks, affirmed themselves, applied learning in practice, and enjoyed career progression. The impacts of these courses reached beyond themselves to both the people and organizations with which they are involved.

Victoria and Louise were also joined by Graham McMahon from ACCME (see his succinct Stanford X talk on CME or listen to his new Coffee with Graham podcast) to consider what this means for the planning, delivery, and regulation of continuing professional development. In a broad ranging discussion, we draw on the prior Harvard Macy Institute podcast on virtual communities of practice, Dan Pratt’s 5 perspectives on teaching, and the translational of these principles in a COVID imposed ‘virtual CME’ era.

Victoria Brazil, MD (Educators, ’05, Leaders ’07, Assessment ‘10) is Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of Simulation at Bond University Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine. Her research interests include podcasting and simulation, and she is co-producer of Simulcast - a podcast about health care simulation. Victoria can be followed on Twitter.