title: "Mini-Residency" in Musculoskeletal Care: a National Continuing Professional Development Program for Primary Care Providers.
abstract: A cost-effective professional development program enhancing musculoskeletal (MSK) skills of physicians and allied health providers working in primary care settings has been reported at a single site. This article describes the first 2 years of the national expansion and implementation of a 3-day "MSK Mini-residency."
  
  
  
  Faculty from Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers worked in partnership with national program faculty from the Salt Lake City VA to present an intensive, integrated, multidisciplinary program to strengthen the skills of primary care providers in evaluating and managing MSK conditions common in primary care. Course assessments included written surveys and a two-station observed structured clinical examination (OSCE) evaluating the physical examination of the shoulder and knee.
  
  
  
  In the first 2 years of the program, 13 VA facilities participated. Two hundred twenty-seven health care providers, including 135 physicians, were trained. Two hundred seven participants (91 %) completed all pre- and post-course written assessments and the two-station OSCE.
  
  
  
  The MSK Mini-residency program is an effective and well-received mixed-method educational initiative to strengthen the skills of primary care physicians and other health care providers in evaluating and managing patients with MSK complaints and to document their competence in performing physical examinations of the shoulder and knee. The 2-year experience in implementation suggests that this model of educational partnerships is a feasible approach to disseminating innovative educational programs in a way that preserves curricular consistency yet is adaptable to local needs.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. Michael.Battistone@va.gov.|Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. Michael.Battistone@va.gov.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Battistone
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.|Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.|Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Marissa P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Grotzke
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.|Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: J Peter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.|Roseman University of Health Sciences, South Jordan, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.|Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Grant W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Cannon
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States
keywords: competency assessment; continuing medical education; education; medical; medical education; musculoskeletal