DOCS Mission Statement
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Founded in 2011, the purpose of the Directors of Clinical Skills Education (DOCS) is to build a cohesive and productive international consortium of educators who direct clinical skills education for medical students. We aim to promote scholarship, establish best practices, and encourage the exchange of ideas across the continuum of clinical skills education.
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History of DOCS
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The conception and very early history of DOCS is described in detail in the following paper:​ Taylor JS, Hunter N, Basaviah P, Mintz M. Developing a national collaborative of medical educators who lead clinical skills courses. Teaching and Learning in Medicine. 2012; 24:4, 361-364.
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Organizational Activities
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DOCS seeks to advance the clinical skills of medical students by:
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Closely connecting its members to share best teaching practices
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Undertaking robust medical education research and commentary on clinical skills education
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Partnering with other like-minded medical educational organizations
DOCS allows vital networking of its members via its popular annual meetings, its quarterly newsletters, its vibrant listserv and website, and its active committees, mentoring, and special interest groups.
Clinical skills education at 75% of U.S. allopathic medical schools are represented by the over 500 DOCS members. Approximately half are active voting members who can also run for elected office.
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