SEA-Q: Educational Question of the Month Guidelines

SEA-Q is an online Question of the Month series focusing on medical education on the website for the Society for Education in Anesthesia. This initiative seeks to encourage the sharing of educational knowledge amongst SEA members, as well as others interested in education, via a question/answer format. The primary purpose of SEA-Q is to provide scientific information about medical education, and instructive tips that can enhance our ability to teach and to learn. The format consists of a stem/short vignette with multiple choice options, followed by a brief discussion, and supported by a couple of scientific references.

SEA-Q is sponsored by the Committee on Advancement of Technology in Anesthesia, under the direction of a Subcommittee. Members of this subcommittee are nominated or recommended from the various SEA committees, who are intimately involved in medical education, and/or who may have fellowship/degree/additional experience in medical education.

Each member solicits submissions from the various SEA members (from their committee, or outside), and can, of course, submit a question himself/herself at any time. We believe that the variety and breadth of submissions are greatly enhanced from the collective experience of the membership, and from the knowledge of our various committees. In addition, a peer review team evaluates the submissions; this provides the question writers with the ability to include these scholarly efforts in their educational portfolio.

Specific guidelines for submission are as follows:

1. Topics - Should be related to topics of interest to educators and learners of the SEA membership. Suggested themes include, but are not limited to:
   • Teaching and learning – adult learning, educational theories
   • Curriculum design and implementation
   • Assessment techniques
   • Innovation in teaching methods
   • Faculty development – faculty mentoring, leadership concepts and strategies, educational portfolio, teaching philosophy
   • Residency education – curricular reform, best practices
   • Educational technology – distance learning, web applications, social media
   • Research and scholarship in medical education
   • Simulation education
   • Global issues in anesthesia education
   • Teaching humanism and professionalism in medicine
   • New trends in medical education – cognitive science, clinical reasoning
2. Format – Submission should be framed as a multiple choice question:
   • Question – short stem with one correct and three incorrect options (total four)
   • Answer
   • Discussion – relevant discourse of approximately 250-300 words, including a brief rationale for the incorrect options
   • References – 1-3 key peer-reviewed citations
   • Author information – Name & summary
3. Author Details – 
   • Name, title, affiliation, etc.
   • Brief biosketch – approx. 50 word summary, highlighting the author’s specific pursuits and interests in anesthesiology education

All SEA members are encouraged to participate in this online endeavor. With time, we anticipate the accumulation of a bank of questions on medical education that is helpful review for our membership. Please feel free to add comments and provide suggestions that can help improve this educational activity. Our ultimate goal is to stimulate discussion and foster collaboration amongst members through interesting (and useful) exchanges resulting from the questions. We welcome your participation in this shared knowledge initiative.