BACKGROUND
This program is administered by the Canadian Orthopaedic Association.
The COA Basic Science Course (BSC) was designed as an educational resource to foster the development of thoughtful orthopaedic surgeons who understand the normal function of the musculoskeletal system (MSK), and the pathophysiology of all MSK disorders. Understanding is fostered through the principle of clinical, laboratory, radiological and pathological correlation. Ideally taken during the 3rd or 4th year of residency training, the BSC is a 5-day educational experience that exposes the resident to a concentrated set of basic science information, allowing time during the resident’s remaining years for the participant to master the material.
Description
Repeated feedback from participants indicates that many experience a fundamental change in their understanding of orthopaedics, and analysis of clinical cases, as a result of participation in the BSC. Orthopaedic surgeons, with this background, may be likely to recognize clinical problems that demonstrate features that are unusual, technically challenging, or manifest classical features of a given disorder. Residency training ideally prepares one to engage in the career-long process of active problem solving to diagnose and manage such difficult cases that arise in practice.
Academic medicine uses challenging cases on an on-going basis for rounds presentations. The BSC uses clinical case scenarios, short summaries of cases that span the categories of disease, challenging the students to analyze the data (history, physical exam, lab, radiology and other modalities, and pathology) to arrive at a likely diagnosis. Clinical problem solving is the basic skill of the orthopaedic surgeon. The analysis of representative clinical cases is a useful exercise, preparing the resident to recognize cases that are classic, different or challenging in some way.
The creation of a format whereby any orthopaedic resident in a Canadian training program could compete for a meaningful prize for preparing a challenging clinical case scenario would expand awareness of the potential importance of the course among residents and faculty. As well, recognizing that there has been a significant evolution in the orthopaedic basic sciences over the 33 years since the inception of the course, in particular with the advances in cell biology that are not recognized in our historic case collection, the BSC Board of Directors seeks a mechanism to modernize the existing clinical case study set.
INTRODUCTION
In partnership with Dr. Thomas V. Smallman and the COA Basic Science Course, the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation established the COA Basic Science Course Scholarship Fund to create a scholarship that is an incentive for orthopaedic residents to benefit from the process of analyzing, and preparing for presentation the relevant aspects of a clinical case that involves either difficult diagnosis or treatment, or is a classic example of a specific disorder in the categories of disease, including the skeletal dysplasias. Cases that demonstrate the role of osteogenic markers, cytokines, growth or genetic factors in the pathophysiology of the condition are of particular interest.
Initially, the Scholarship was to consist of one thousand dollars ($1,000) awarded on an annual basis to an orthopaedic resident meeting the criteria specified below. In 2022 the Scholarship was updated to award $5,000 every two years to an Orthopaedic Residency Training Program, rather than an individual resident, and award timing was aligned to match the end of the two year COA Basic Science Course.
Criteria for eligibility
- Orthopaedic Residency Training Programs applying for this Scholarship must participate in the COA Basic Science Course (must have residents attending the current two-year course).
- Residents involved in supporting the Residency Training Program applying for the Scholarship must be enrolled in the current 2-year COA Basic Science Course.
- Program Director approval is required for any residents applying for this Scholarship.
Application procedure and guidelines
Applications will be submitted online through the COA Basic Science Course website at:
Instructions for preparing clinical cases for consideration are found on that same page.
- Scholarship call – by the end November
- Application deadline – by the end of February
- Review Panel Scoring – by the end of March
- Award Announcement – by the end of fMay
Review process and timing
Applications will be reviewed by a panel.
Each reviewer will grade the application based upon a number of factors including:
- the quality of the material
- the pertinence of the data provided
- the synthesis that highlights the essence of this course: the juxtaposition of basic science into the analysis of a clinical scenario
Administration
At the time of program launch, the COA Basic Science Course Scholarship Fund contained $30,000. Costs to administer the Scholarship were covered by a one-time levy of $6,000 (20% of funds donated). It was initially the goal of the COF to award a Scholarship of $1,000 for twenty-four consecutive years. The first award was given out in 2021. In 2022-2023 the scholarship award amount was increased to $5,000, to be given out every two years. It is anticipated the four (4) additional awards will be given out before the Scholarship fund will need additional funding.
Public launch
The Scholarship was introduced to the participants during the 2019 Basic Science Course. Information about the Scholarship was communicated at the COA Annual Meeting in June 2020. The updated Scholarship format was introduced to Residency Program Directors in September 2022.
Award announcement
The recipient Residency Program will be notified of the Review Panel’s decision by May 31 in the year the Scholarship is awarded. Recipients will be announced at the annual COA Meetings.
Award disbursement
The COF will co-ordinate the method of funds disbursement with the successful program. As a CRA registered charity the COF makes grant payments only to “qualified donees” as identified by the CRA (such as another charity, a university, a hospital foundation, etc.); payments are not made directly to an individual.
Funds will be disbursed as follows:
- Award amount typically paid out within four weeks of notification to successful Residency Program.
- A brief written report outlining how funds were used in support of the COF’s mission to be submitted to the COF within 12 months of funds disbursement.
Scholarship monies are to be used by the recipient Residency Program in a manner that aligns with the COF’s mission – to achieve excellence in bone and joint health, mobility and function for all Canadians through the advancement of research, education and care.