Wikipedia:WikiProject Medicine/GF-FMR

This project aims to improve writing and literature appraisal skills of family medicine residents. Participants will be guided by faculty together with the collaborative and on-line supportive nature of Wikipedia. The combined efforts should improve an important resource for medical topics which is used by millions. This outline is modified from the work of Doc James who is introducing a curriculum at University of California, San Francisco to create an elective which will involve fourth year medical students improving Wikipedia medical content.

Project details are documented on this page. Please leave comments at the talk page.

Importance of Wikipedia

A majority of medical topics are covered in Wikipedia. Over 25,000 medicine articles receive almost 200 million views per month, while nearly 8,000 pharmacology articles receive over 40 million views per month. There is research support for Wikipedia's influential role as the dominant online reference for medical information for the lay public—as well as a frequently consulted resource for medical professionals.

Benefits to participants

Effective writing requires that content is well organized, and strong organizational skills benefit all aspects of clinical practice. Good writing requires brevity, clarity and acceptable style, all of which can be demonstrated, modeled, and improved with repetition. Information must be carefully selected and properly referenced and cited to meet Wikipedia standards. This requires critical appraisal which is fundamental to all aspects of patient care. Finally, participants will benefit from the guidance of mentors exploiting the techniques of distance learning and motivated only by their interest in Wikipedia and their desire to see the development of young editors.

Participation

Various components, none exclusive, are possible as follows:

1. An academic component of a variety of one month electives such as sports medicine, orthopedics, cardiology, etc.
2. An alternative or supplement to other residency program requirements, such as the quality assurance project, journal club, or current literature searching exercises.
3. A longitudinal component for those interested in a Wikipedia writers' group.

In the best circumstances, some students, whose editing skills have grown and become more confident, will progress to mentorship of successive learners.

This project is somewhat unique in that it applies to participants for whom scholarly activity is not only encouraged but required. Although definitions of scholarly activity are broadly defined by a variety of accrediting organizations, local faculty has a responsibility for defining specific projects and requiring resident participation. According to plan, contributions to Wikipedia articles will become one of the four principle scholarly contributions and progress will be discussed at scheduled residents' reviews which take place quarterly for first year residents and semi-annually for others. These meetings will be in addition to those convened by Wikipedia mentors.

Topics

Initial meetings will take place between faculty and participants, at which time Wikipedia's curricular development guidelines will be used as a background. Additionally, Wikipedia's guidance for student writers will be reviewed. Thereafter, a variety of possibilities, concordant with the development guidelines, exists as follows:

1. Topics of interest chosen from the 500 most accessed medical articles on Wikipedia, with attention to those marked as being in need of improvement.
2. Any topic of interest arising during a rotation, after review of Wikipedia for existing articles or suitability.
3. As part of curriculum development. For example, in the past semester's "Medical Aspects of Sports" course in the Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training, resources were drawn from Wikipedia, although no student writing was required.

Duration

Participation may be longitudinal, as a member a writing interest group, or monthly or two monthly, during a clinical rotation, with completion time and support agreed upon before project commencement.

Quality assurance and credit

A project will be evaluated, for the purpose of academic credit within the residency program, by the degree to which it meets Wikipedia good article criteria (to the extent that the criteria may apply). Additionally, due to the public nature of Wikipedia, any project will be evaluated by the world-wide Wikipedia community by comment or edit, to the educational benefit of all participants. The final responsibility to Wikipedia for the quality of students' contributions will lie with the course director.

Advice to students

Excellent advice for students has been collated and created by Wikipedia editors at the essay assignments for student editors. All are strongly encouraged to be acquainted with its contents. WP:STUDENTS is the shortcut to the student section.

Talk and editing sessions

Event times and locations

To be completed .........

Faculty

• Bill Mann (talk · contribs · email) (if I write on your page reply on mine) 01:32, 21 November 2012 (UTC)

Available for online assistance

• Biosthmors (talk · contribs · email) (posting at my talk page sends me an email)
• FriendlyRiverOtter (example and suggestion) (talk · contribs · email) (if I write on your page reply on mine) 00:47, 25 December 2012 (UTC)

Resources

Introduction

• WikiProject Medicine
• Guidance on how to edit medical content

Education Program introduction

• Other pending/completed education projects
• Teaching Fellowship
• Campus Ambassadors
• Online Ambassadors
• Memorandum of Understanding
• Education Program global strategy

Education program pedagogy and tools

• Training Module for understanding Wikipedia
• Training Module for editing Wikipedia
• Training Module for Educators
• Professor orientation (3 modules)
• Training Resources
• Syllabus aids

Editing targets

• 500 most visited Wikipedia medicine articles
• Top importance C-class articles
• High importance stub-class articles
• High importance start-class articles
• High importance C-class articles