Silver Linings of Teaching during a Pandemic: Ideas for Evidence-Based Curricular Innovation

Abstract

As physician assistant (PA) educators adjust to all the changes and restrictions that come with living through a pandemic, it is important to actively seek out ways to help our students adjust, thrive, and keep learning. One silver lining associated with the chaotic times that we are currently living through is that opportunities for curricular innovation are literally all around us. Particularly, in the areas of evidence-based medicine, epidemiology, and health policy, there are a wide variety of free and timely online resources that educators can use to add interest and impact to their courses. It is possible for educators to reframe the current chaos and distress into an effective "teachable moment" in the living history of medicine. Many PA programs are adapting to the coronavirus pandemic with curricular changes that might be of great interest to their peers around the country. If you have a novel approach to an evidence-based medicine topic that has worked well, please consider writing a brief article to share through this feature or other sections in JPAE.