ASCO is seeking leaders in education to join its Education Council. The Council consists of ASCO members who are committed to advancing ASCO’s educational mission. Specific responsibilities of the Council include prioritizing programs to address educational gaps, advising on the latest in educational tools and strategies, assessing new education program proposals, and more.
Interested applicants should send a curriculum vitae (no more than four pages) and letter of intent that describes the applicant’s interest in the Council, education experience, and leadership experience to Maggie.Cool@asco.org. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2019.
ASCO’s Education Council: Creating a Cohesive Educational Strategy
In November 2016, the ASCO Board of Directors came together to discuss how it could better support ASCO’s educational mission. From that meeting, the Education Council was born. Created in 2017 and tasked with developing a streamlined educational strategy across all ASCO programs, the Educational Council’s purpose is to set the mission, vision, and strategic plan for ASCO’s education portfolio so that it is consistent with the goals of the ASCO Board of Directors. Specifically, the council oversees the integration of the newest and most relevant learning science theory into ASCO’s educational activities, establishes program success metrics, identifies gaps in ASCO’s educational programming, serves as the selection committee for the Education Scholars Program, and advises on new educational technologies. The council’s wide sphere of program evaluation touches all of ASCO’s educational offerings, including meetings and symposia, digital education products, and trainings.
James A. Stewart, MD, FACP, FASCO
“Too often, educational activities are considered a ‘given’, something everyone can do,” said inaugural Education Council Chair James A. Stewart, MD, FACP, FASCO. “The advances in teaching science show that not to be true. Uninformed administrators may not appreciate the effort and time needed to accomplish good teaching.
As Robert A. Wolff, MD, current Education Council Chair, has reminded us: ‘Education is not a cost sink, but rather an investment with big pay-offs.’”
The Education Council works to develop a strategic plan to inform the ASCO Board of priority programs, content areas, and resources. The council is also responsible for collaborating on educational opportunities across ASCO’s many departments by working with the Education Council Staff Advisory Group (which includes members of ASCO’s Education, Clinical Affairs, Publishing, and Policy Departments).
“From a personal perspective, despite having been a fellowship director for over 20 years, I realized this past year how complex adult education theory and learning science is,” said Dr. Stewart. “As oncologists, we all think of ourselves as teachers: of patients, other doctors, and trainees. But most of us really haven’t studied contemporary educational literature. ASCO has a remarkable educational influence on the medical scene and is likely one of the leaders in this area. Yet we don’t really spend enough time on the skill sets needed for optimal teaching. Putting education skills in the context of modern learning science as a priority is important.” ■
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