MEdIC Series logo

Inspired by the Harvard Business Review Cases, the MEdIC Series puts difficult medical education cases under a microscope. From 2013-2018, on the fourth Friday of the month we will pose a challenging hypothetical dilemma, moderate a discussion on potential approaches, and recruit medical education experts to provide “Gold Standard” responses. Cases and responses will be made available for download as individual PDFs (i.e. one per case). Year 1-4 are also available as e-book compendiums (see below). Feel free to use them locally for your own education or in group activities with others!

Read more about the background of our process in our paper within the leading medical education journal Academic Medicine:
Chan TM, Thoma B, Lin M. Creating, Curating, and Sharing Online Faculty Development Resources. Academic Medicine. 2015;90(6):785-789. doi: 10.1097/acm.0000000000000692

Our Purpose

The purpose of the MEdIC series is to create resources that allow you to engage in ‘guerrilla’ faculty development – enticing and engaging individuals who might not have time to attend faculty development workshops to think about challenging cases in medical education. We hope to support our readership’s development by creating Expert Peer Reviewed content featuring prominent thinkers in emergency medicine (and beyond) on key topics.

Meet Our MEdiC Team

Series Editors

  • Tamara McColl, MD FRCPC MEd(c)
  • Teresa Chan, BEd MD FRCPC MHPE

Assistant Editors

  • S. Luckett-Gatopoulos, MD MSc
  • John Eicken, MD
  • Eve Purdy, BHSc MD
  • Alkarim Velji, MD
  • Brent Thoma, MA MD FRCPC MSc

Season Five Cases (2017-ongoing)

CaseOriginal PostWrap Up PostPDF link
Case 5.1: The Case of the Discriminatory PatientLinkLinkPDF
Case 5.2: The Case of the Difficult Debrief LinkLink

Bonus:
Podcast

PDF
Case 5.3: The Case of the M&M Shame GameLinkLinkPDF
Case 5.4: The Case of the Technologically-Challenged AcademicLinkLinkPDF
Case 5.5: The Case of the Night Shift StimulantsLinkLinkPDF
Case 5.6 The Case of the Post-Paternity bluesLinkLinkPDF
Case 5.7  The Case of the Orphaned PatientLinkLinkPDF
Case 5.8  The Case of the Overwhelmed SeniorLinkLinkPDF
Case 5.9 The Case of the Medication MishapLinkLinkPDF

Season Four Cases (2016-2017)

CaseOriginal PostWrap Up PostPDF link
Case 4.1: The Case of Cognitive OverloadLinkLinkPDF
Case 4.2: The Case of the Overly Attentive AttendingLinkLinkPDF
Case 4.3: The Case of the Fatiguing Fourth Year LinkLinkPDF
Case 4.4: The Case of the Resident-At-RiskLinkLinkPDF
Case 4.5: The Case of Shifting ExpectationsLinkLinkPDF
Case 4.6: The Case of the Lazy LearnersLinkLinkPDF
Case 4.7: The Case of the Solo SeniorLinkLinkPDF
Case 4.8: The Case of the Failure to FailLinkLinkPDF
Case 4.9: The Case of the Competency ConundrumLinkLinkPDF

Season Three Cases (2015-2016)

CaseOriginal PostWrap Up PostPDF link
Case 3.1: The Case of the FOAM promotionLinkLinkPDF
Case 3.2: The Case of the Patient with a No Learner PolicyLinkLinkPDF
Case 3.3: The Case of the Cackling Consulting ResidentLinkLinkPDF
Case 3.4: The Case of the Awkward AssessorsLinkLinkPDF
Case 3.5: The Case of the Catastrophic ClassroomLinkLinkPDF
Case 3.6: The Case of the Pimping PhysicianLinkLinkPDF
Case 3.7 : The Case of the Fibbing First YearLinkLinkPDF
Case 3.8 : The Case of the Terrible CodeLinkLinkPDF
Case 3.9: The Case of the Honorary AuthorshipLinkLinkPDF

Season Two Cases (2014-2015)

CaseOriginal PostWrap Up PostPDF link
Case 2.1: The Case of the Backroom BlunderLinkLinkPDF
Case 2.2: The Case of the Debriefing DebacleLinkLinkPDF
Case 2.3: The Case of the Ebola Outbreak EthicsLinkLinkPDF
Case 2.4: The Case of the Late LetterLinkLinkPDF
Case 2.5: The Case of Breaking Bad News BadlyLinkLinkPDF
Case 2.6: The Case of the Returning TravellerLinkLinkPDF
Case 2.7: The Case of the Financial FiascoLinkLinkPDF
Case 2.8: The Case of the FOAM Faux PasLinkLinkPDF
Case 2.9: The Case of the Flirtatious PatientLinkLinkPDF
Case 2.10: The Case of the Unseasoned SeniorLinkLinkPDF

Season One Cases (2013-2014)

CaseOriginal PostWrap Up PostPDF link
Case 1.1: The Case of the Difficult ConsultLinkLinkPDF
Case 1.2: The Case of the Facebook FaceplantLinkLinkPDF
Case 1.3: The Case of the Woman in WhiteLinkLinkPDF
Case 1.4: The Case of the New Job NegotiationsLinkLinkPDF
Case 1.5: The Case of the Magnificent MentorLinkLinkPDF
Case 1.6: The Case of the Terrible TeammateLinkLinkPDF
Case 1.7: The Case of the Culture ClashLinkLinkPDF
Case 1.8: The Case of the Not-so-Humorous HumerusLinkLinkPDF
Case 1.9: The Case of the Unexpected OutcomeLinkLinkPDF
Case 1.10: The Case of the Exasperated EducatorLinkLinkPDF
Case 1.11: The Case of the Justified JuniorLinkLinkPDF
Case 1.12: The Case of the Absentee AudienceLinkLinkPDF

Free e-Books: MEdIC Season 1-3 Compilations

Click on this direct iTunes link or the picture below to go there. You may also go to our ResearchGate link to get the PDF version if you are unable to access the iTunes e-book.

MEdIC Cover
Chan TM, Thoma B, Lin M (Eds). (2014). Medical Education in Cases: Volume 1 (1st Edition). Digital File. San Francisco, CA; Academic Life in Emergency Medicine. ISBN: 978-0-9907948-0-6.
MEdICYear2BookCover
Chan TM, McColl T, Luckett-Gatopoulos S, Purdy E, Thoma B (Eds).(2016).Medical Education in Cases: Volume 2. San Francisco, CA; Academic Life in Emergency Medicine.  ISBN: 978-0-9907948-0-6.
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.2555.1522
PDF     |     iTunes
Chan TM, McColl T, Luckett-Gatopoulos S, Purdy E, Eicken J, Thoma B. (2017). Medical Education in Cases: Volume 3 (1st Edition). Digital File. San Francisco, CA; Academic Life in Emergency Medicine. ISBN: 978-0-9907948-9-9.

Newly available (July 20, 2017)

The Volume 4 e-book is out now.  You may go to our ResearchGate link to get the PDF version, and it is also available on iTunes as an e-book.


Did you know…?

ALiEM MEdIC series was selected as a “Top Five What Works” abstract and will be presented from the podium at the International Conference on Residency Education in 2014. Dr. Teresa Chan will represent the ALiEM Team. On October 25, 2014, Dr. Chan also presented the first ALiEM Press production the ALiEM MEdIC E-Book.

HOT OFF THE PRESS: Free ALiEM MEdIC Series Book – Volume 5

medic series book 5

This is a bittersweet moment for the MEdIC Editorial team – the launch of our 5th and final volume of our Medical Education in Cases ebook. We are very excited to showcase the compilation of our final season and hope that it serves you well as you all look to expand your online learning and teaching resources during this incredible time in medical history. We hope that you, your colleagues, and the greater FOAMed community enjoy this collaborative collection of high-quality cases and curated online commentary centered on educational, ethical, and professionalism-based quandaries. Your support, contributions, and enthusiasm for the MEdIC series over the years is greatly appreciated!

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HOT OFF THE PRESS | Free ALiEM MEdIC Series Book, Volume 4

It has been more than 5 years since we launched the ALiEM Medical Education in Cases (MEdIC) Series, and we are very proud to have had 5 years of excellent engagement and participation from the FOAM audience with our interactive monthly discussions. This past year we’ve become a bit backlogged in our work… So although the MEdIC series is complete through to the 5-year mark, we still owe the world a few free e-books.

We are thrilled to announce that a compilation of the fourth MEdIC season (last year’s cases) is available for free download.

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By |2018-12-20T21:19:35-08:00Dec 21, 2018|MEdIC series, Medical Education|

MEdIC Series: The Case of the Medication Mishap – Expert Review and Curated Community Commentary

Our last case of season 5, The Case of the Medication Mishap, presented the scenario of a senior resident, Tim, who inadvertently administers an incorrect medication dose that leads to a serious adverse event. He then struggles with how to handle this situation as we often aren’t coached on the approach to physician errors and disclosing adverse events throughout our medical training. Physicians aren’t allowed to make mistakes, right? If you haven’t had a chance yet, we urge you to check out the case and share your thoughts on this important topic!

The MEdIC team (Drs. Tamara McColl, Teresa Chan, Sarah Luckett-Gatopoulos, Eve Purdy, John Eicken, Alkarim Velji, and Brent Thoma) hosted an online discussion around the case over the last 2 weeks with insights from the ALiEM community. We are proud to present to you the curated commentary and our expert reviews. Thank you to all participants for contributing to the rich discussions surrounding this case!

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By |2019-04-01T11:48:39-07:00Jul 20, 2018|MEdIC series|

MEdIC Series: The Case of the Medication Mishap

Welcome to season 5, episode 9 of the ALiEM Medical Education in Cases (MEdIC) series! Our team (Drs. Tamara McColl, Teresa Chan, Eve Purdy, John Eicken, Sarah Luckett-Gatopoulos, Alkarim Velji, and Brent Thoma) is pleased to welcome you to our online community of practice where we discuss the practice of academic medicine!

In our last case of the year, we present the scenario of a senior resident, Tim, who inadvertently administers an incorrect medication dose that leads to a serious adverse event. He then struggles with how to deal with this error as we often aren’t coached on situations like these throughout our training. Physicians aren’t allowed to make mistakes, right?

Check out the case and join the conversation in the comments section! We’d love to hear your thoughts on this important topic!

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By |2019-04-01T11:47:17-07:00Jul 6, 2018|MEdIC series|

MEdIC Series: The Case of the Overwhelmed Senior Resident – Expert Review and Curated Community Commentary

Our eighth case of season 5, The Case of the Overwhelmed Senior Resident, presented the scenario of a senior resident who felt overwhelmed when left to manage the department on a busy night shift while his attending physician was asleep in the back room. The resident debated whether to wake his attending to ask for help, but worried that it could be perceived as a sign of weakness or that he couldn’t “handle things” with autonomy. If you haven’t had a chance yet, we urge you to check out the case and share your thoughts on this important topic!

The MEdIC team (Drs. Tamara McColl, Teresa Chan, Sarah Luckett-Gatopoulos, Eve Purdy, John Eicken, Alkarim Velji, and Brent Thoma) hosted an online discussion around the case over the last 2 weeks with insights from the ALiEM community. We are proud to present to you the curated commentary and our expert reviews. Thank you to all participants for contributing to the rich discussions surrounding this case!

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By |2019-04-01T11:46:02-07:00Jun 15, 2018|MEdIC series|

MEdIC Series: The Case of the Overwhelmed Senior Resident

Welcome to season 5, episode 8 of the ALiEM Medical Education in Cases (MEdIC) series! Our team (Drs. Tamara McColl, Teresa Chan, Eve Purdy, John Eicken, Sarah Luckett-Gatopoulos, Alkarim Velji, and Brent Thoma) is pleased to welcome you to our online community of practice where we discuss the practice of academic medicine!

This month, we present a case of a senior resident who is overwhelmed when left to manage a busy department on a night shift while his attending physician is asleep in the back room. The resident debates whether to wake his attending and ask for help, as he worries this may be a sign of weakness or that he can’t “handle things” independently.

Check out the case and join the conversation in the comments section! We’d love to hear your thoughts on this important topic!

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By |2019-04-01T11:44:42-07:00May 25, 2018|MEdIC series|

MEdIC Series: The Case of the Orphaned Patient – Expert Review and Curated Community Commentary

Our seventh case of season 5, The Case of the Orphaned Patient, presented the scenario of a junior orthopedic surgery resident rotating in the ED and receiving significant pushback when trying to transfer the care of a clinically deteriorating patient to a more appropriate service. The outcome of this pushback was a patient without a service feeling primarily responsible for further care, leaving the patient “orphaned” in the ED. If you haven’t had a chance yet, we urge you to check out the case and share your thoughts on this important topic!

The MEdIC team (Drs. Tamara McColl, Teresa Chan, Sarah Luckett-Gatopoulos, Eve Purdy, John Eicken, Alkarim Velji, and Brent Thoma) hosted an online discussion around the case over the last 2 weeks with insights from the ALiEM community. We are proud to present to you the curated commentary and our expert opinions. Than you to all participants for contributing to the very rich discussions surrounding this case!

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