PAEA Volunteer Service During a Pandemic
You’re busy. The world right now — both in your program and at home — is uncertain. And yet PAEA is still recruiting for volunteers. We hope that volunteering with PAEA can provide some calm in the storm, offering critical professional and leadership opportunities. This year, PAEA has a number of volunteer opportunities available — from two Mission Advancement Commission chair openings to several member and chair roles on operational steering committees and groups — that can provide you with a valuable and rewarding experience.
We would like to tell you specifically about the openings on the Exam Development Boards (EDBs). Service on the EDBs can be a lot of work, considering that members write, peer review, and edit test questions on a year-round production schedule. However, for individuals with a passion for assessment and the measurement of educational outcomes, it can provide a stabilizing force. During the pandemic, our production schedule has stayed on track with accommodations for members’ busy program and home lives. EDB service helps you and your program to:
- Refine your test item-writing skills
- Develop new awareness of exam construction principles
- Think about ways to improve your course exams, both in content and best practices such as cultural awareness
In addition to this valuable professional development, you will build connections with the 11 other members of your EDB, as well as the team of 68 volunteers across all groups, and receive Category 1 CME and peer-reviewed citations for your efforts.
We have openings for members with a wide variety of expertise to write for PAEA Assessment exams, including Emergency Medicine and General Surgery End of Rotation exams and PACKRAT. To apply, please visit this page to learn more and submit a letter of interest, CV, and three sample test questions by October 30. Our review team will evaluate your application and invite select individuals for interviews, where we will discuss your interests and experience and consider which group might be a good fit for you. Candidates with varying levels of experience are welcome — all that’s required is a passion for assessment and a willingness to learn.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me at eyunker@PAEAonline.org.