1. education

Academy Insights
Vol. 6, No. 2
Medical Education Career Night- An Inaugural Event
By Zoe Gottlieb
On an evening in March, HMS students in
years 1-4 and faculty members across
several fields at five of Harvard's teaching
hospitals gathered in the Minot Room of
Countway Library for the first ever Medical
Education Careers Night. Hosted by the
Medical Education Student Interest Group,
the event sought to connect medical
students with faculty whose careers have
involved work in the field of medical
education. Roughly 65 guests attended the
event; the 25 faculty guests included
internists, pediatricians, family
practitioners, surgeons, OBGYNs,
psychiatrists and researchers. All were
eager to share how their interests in
medical education evolved and how they
have integrated teaching into their careers.
PICTURE: RIGHT TO LEFT Medical Education
Student Interest Group Co-Chairs ZOE GOTTLIEB
HMS-4, HOLLY GOODING, M.D.
After a warm welcome from Academy Director Dr. Richard Schwartzstein, faculty members sat at
tables according to their main area of focus as medical
educators-undergraduate medical
education, graduate medical education, medical education in a surgical field, medical education
research, and medical education and advocacy-and had the opportunity to interact with all
student guests in a "speed dating" format. Students spent roughly 10 minutes at each table before
moving along to the next group, allowing them to have individual conversations with faculty
guests in a variety of roles. "Attending the event reminded me of the first time I went to a dim
sum restaurant-I didn't know what to expect coming in, but I ended up taking a piece of
everything and left feeling very satisfied," Sean Fletcher, MS1, reflected. "The 'speed dating' aspect
of the event was ideal for me because I didn't know what I would be most interested in, and I only
wish that I could have had more time at each table." As the event came to a close, Dr. Edward
Hundert, Dean for Medical Education, shared with everyone a favorite aphorism from his own
mentor, Dr. Daniel Federman. "To be a great clinical teacher, you have to do three things: Think
out loud, stick to the basics, and be kind."
The event received very positive feedback from both students and faculty guests. "Having the
opportunity to learn from many of our best teachers, mentors, and role models about how they
became involved in medical education was a true privilege," said Laura Chiel, MS4. "This event
gave me a better understanding of the variety of career paths that can [involve medical
education]. I left the event feeling inspired and motivated to further pursue my interests in [the
field]."
Achyut Patil, MS1, felt similarly. "[This event] was by far the best of its kind that I've been
exposed to so far. Being able to see the entire spectrum of the field of medical education taught
me more about my potential careers in medicine than did years of researching before medical
school." Mr. Patil also noted the importance of having this type of event early in medical school.
"Having the event during first year is critical - as I interact with educators for the rest of medical
school, I will have a much better idea of how to engage them with my interest in education."
Fellow first year Sean Fletcher agreed. "It was definitely helpful to attend the event as a first year,"
Fletcher said. "At HMS we often hear about all of the exciting opportunities we have, and events
like the Med Ed Careers Night really facilitate our taking advantage of those opportunities."
Graduating students also found that the event helped them think about their own career
development as they move forward with residency and beyond. "It was wonderful to chat
informally with faculty members who were instrumental in my own development as a soon-to-be
physician," said Molly Brett, MS4. "I am starting my training in Internal Medicine in a few short
months, so I found it particularly valuable to discuss strategies for developing as an educator
during the hectic years of residency. This event made it quite clear that many of the faculty in
attendance considered their involvement in medical education to be the most fulfilling element of
their careers in medicine."
Wes Brown, MS4, echoed these sentiments. "As I approach my final year of medical school, I've
begun to wonder how top-notch HMS professors found their calling in education," he remarked.
"The Med Ed Careers Night was the first time I was exposed to medical education as a career
option outside the standard curriculum. The event gave students an opportunity to ask curious
questions, and professors were entirely candid with their responses. Overall, it gave interested
students the opportunity to ask 'what does it take' and 'how do I get there' in a relaxed
environment."
In addition to receiving such positive feedback from student guests, faculty attendees also felt that
the event was a great success. In particular, many noted that the structure of the event was
particularly effective in exposing students to a wide variety of potential careers in medical
education. "One of the wonderful things about medical education is the wide range of educational
opportunities and venues for teaching, resulting [in] career paths that are unique to each
individual educator," said Dr. Chris Smith, Co-Director of the Rabkin Fellowship in Medical
Education and Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program and Clinician Educator
Track at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "While this variety is wonderful and stimulating,
for someone starting his or her career in medical education, this uncertainty can also be quite
daunting. The Medical Education Careers Night was an outstanding opportunity for young
medical educators to meet with medical education leaders from many clinical and educational
realms to learn about their own career paths. The advice garnered from these discussions and the
relationships formed from this session will hopefully help to create new pathways in medical
education for the students who participated."
Dean Hundert also commented on what a memorable event it was for many of the faculty as well
as the students who attended. "There was a wonderful 'buzz' as the students circulated among the
tables, where we all got to share our experiences and inspiration," he said. "I left with great
confidence that the future of medical education will be in the best of hands!"
The event will hopefully be the first of many aimed at connecting medical students with faculty
mentors in medical education.
Congratulations to the 2015 Charlie Hatem Award
Recipient:
Hope Ricciotti, MD
Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
Head of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center
Dr. Hope Ricciotti is the Chair and Residency Program Director in the Department of Obstetrics
and Gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and an Associate Professor of
Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School. She rose internally
in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology to her current role as Department Chair, with
prior roles as Division Director, Vice Chair for Education, and Vice Chair. She practices obstetrics
and gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. At Harvard Medical
School, Dr. Ricciotti is Co-Chair of the Resident as Teacher Interest Group for the Academy, and a
member of the Curriculum Committee and Faculty Council. Her academic interests include
resident-as-teacher and leadership training programs, culture in academic medicine, and
simulation for training medical students and residents. Her clinical interests are focused on
reducing health care disparities in women's health, and include obstetrics, advanced
contraception, and preventive women's health care. She has published several important
manuscripts in the medical literature, including the innovative use of open space for enhancing
the culture of academic medicine (Academic Medicine, 2014), the disparity in representation of
women in department-based leadership roles in obstetrics and gynecology (Journal of Obstetrics
and Gynecology, 2015), and the objective structured teaching evaluation (OSTE) for training
residents as teachers (Medical Teacher, 2012).
Five Faculty Members Selected as HMS Academy Fellows
in Medical Education
Five faculty members have been awarded the Harvard Medical School Academy Fellowship in
Medical Education for the academic year 2015-2016. This endowed, competitive program seeks to
develop and enhance the fellows' analytical skills as medical education researchers and teaching
skills as medical educators. Each fellow applies with a project to be completed during the
fellowship year which is designed to contribute to the quality of medical student education at
HMS.
Fellowship seminars meet at least twice per month with the Director of the Academy Fellowship,
David Hirsh, MD to discuss topics related to curriculum development, educational research and
program assessment, the application of adult learning theories, and the enhancement of teaching
skills needed for both lecturing and small group teaching. In addition, each Academy Fellow
completes a fellowship project over the course of the year. Projects focus on curriculum
development, faculty development, assessment of learners, and outcomes research. The selection
process seeks faculty whose proposed projects will contribute to the education of Harvard medical
students through curriculum innovation, outcomes assessment, faculty development, or
enrichment opportunities. Upon completion of the program, fellows present their work at HMS
Medical Education Day. Graduates have led significant curricular and programmatic changes and
served as education leaders in the HMS community and around the world.
Dr. Hirsh commented "The HMS Academy was delighted with the high quality work of the faculty
who applied, the energy and creativity of the applicants, the meaningful projects they proposed,
and the committed mentors who support them." "Each of the fellows' projects has the potential to
make a real impact on the continuous improvement of teaching and learning at HMS and our
affiliated hospitals," said Edward M. Hundert, MD, the Dean of Medical Education.
Academy Fellowships are made possible through generous contributions to the Morgan-Zinsser,
Curtis Prout, Eisenberg Family, and Susan and James Jackson Academy Fellowship Funds. The
Harvard School of Dental Medicine is also sponsoring one Academy Fellow.
Congratulations to the following Academy Medical Education
Fellowship Recipients:
Fellowship Overview:The Academy Fellowships in Medical Education provide educators with
dedicated time to develop the expertise and skills needed to advance academic careers in medical
education and medical education research.
Gaurab Basu, MD, MPH
Curtis Prout Academy Fellowship in Medical Education
Instructor in Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School
Project Title: Evaluation Agenda for Research Based Health Advocacy Curriculum
Kathryn Butler, MD
Morgan-Zinsser Academy Fellowship in Medical Education
Instructor in Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Project Title: Validity and Feasibility of an OSCE for Student Assessment on the Surgical
Clerkship
Jeffrey Linder, MD, MPH, FACP
Curtis Prout Academy Fellowship in Medical Education
Associate Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Project Title: Development and Evaluation of the Pursuing Inquiry in Medicine Course and the
Scholars in Medicine Graduation Requirement
David Sloane, MD, EdM
Morgan-Zinsser Academy Fellowship in Medical Education
Instructor in Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Project Title: An Investigation of Health Theories
Lisa Thompson, DMD
Instructor in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, part- time, Harvard School of Dental
Medicine
Project Title: The Development and Assessment of Curriculum for an Inter-professional
Community-based Clinical Activity in Geriatric Oral Health for Medical, Dental and Nursing
Students
Peer Observation of Teaching Interest Group
The HMS Academy's Peer Observation of Teaching Interest Group is co-chaired by Dr. Susan
Frankl and Lori Newman, MEd. The primary goals of the Interest Group are to develop a culture
of teaching improvement across HMS; provide individualized faculty development for those
involved in teaching at the UME, GME, and CME levels; and generate community-wide
conversations about best teaching practices.
To assist HMS with its efforts to cultivate use of interactive teaching strategies that foster active
learning and encourage critical thinking and reflection, during AY2014 the Interest Group
focused its attention on exploring and gaining a better understanding about the flipped classroom
method. While there are many ways to "flip a classroom," a unifying characteristic of this
approach is to move "information transfer" activities to student preparatory time, so that in-class
time allows students the opportunity to analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and apply knowledge - all
while a faculty member is present. Faculty, in turn, are able to step away from the podium and
provide individualized instruction through increased educator-student interactions and
continuous feedback. To identify various flipped classroom approaches used at HMS, Dr. Richard
Schwartzstein allowed our interest group to observe the Spring 2014 Integrated Human
Physiology (IHP) course in which faculty deliberately used interactive and flipped classroom
techniques during their large group discussions. As a result the Interest Group members
conducted 22 observations of the IHP large group sessions. From these observations, a number of
criteria were identified as vital to the essence of a flipped classroom experience, including:

A collaborative learning environment

Student preparation and readiness

Appropriate sequencing, timing, and flow of class activities

Instructors' use of questions and active learning techniques

Instructors' promotion of critical thinking

Student engagement, collaboration, and participation

Instructional interplay among multiple faculty members
Once we had gathered and analyzed this information, at the start of AY15, we were ready to begin
designing a peer observation of flipped classroom teaching worksheet - one that we named "Casebased Collaborative Learning" or CBCL. We then used a modified Delphi method (an iterative,
consensus-driven process) to determine the essential criteria to include in the worksheet. In
addition, we gave careful consideration to the criteria's wording to ensure that we best captured
the demonstrable behaviors an observer might expect to see during a CBCL-structured teaching
session. After three Delphi rounds in which interest group members vetted their opinions about
each criterion, we devised a CBCL worksheet with 8 observable criteria. For each criterion, we
included numerous examples to best elucidate each behavior. Moreover, the group devised a
separate "Elements of Effective Instruction" to accompany the worksheet as they felt it was
necessary to reinforce the understanding that all successful teaching efforts stem from
community-based,
agreed-upon
instructional
standards.
CBCL criteria are well grounded in the group's observation of the AY2014 IHP course and include
items such as: Uses a variety of learner-centered activities to engage students in the application,
transfer, or generation of knowledge and Co-teaches with other faculty in a coordinated and
collaborative manner. An example of a fully-described criterion is as follows:
Prompts deeper learning by using one or more of the following strategies:

Uses higher-order questioning or asks questions such as "Why?" "What if?" or "Why does
this matter?" to further students' understanding and critical thinking
 Asks students to clarify, elaborate further, or reason through their responses
 Alters case or question to see if students can apply their knowledge to different situation
 Challenges students' existing ways of thinking or points out exceptions to the rule
Now that the Interest Group has drafted the CBCL observation worksheet, we have entered the
pilot phase of the process. At this time, we have begun to watch videotaped examples of CBCL to
determine if we have captured common behaviors and begin to test whether we are able to
produce reliable results when we each use the worksheet to observe teaching. At the same time,
we have decided to create an accompanying compendium for the worksheet to help guide peer
faculty when conducting CBCL observations. We hope to present a final version of the CBCL
observation worksheet by the close of the academic year and to share the compendium with the
faculty during the late fall of 2015. We foresee training faculty to use the worksheet and
compendium to begin peer observation of the pre-clinical courses in the spring of 2016.
Congratulations to the following Fellows in Medical
Education Research
Fellowship Overview: This program will prepare fellows to apply social science research methods
to educational issues in medicine and health care. Through lectures, discussion, in-class practice,
and projects, fellows will gain familiarity with a range of social and behavioral approaches to
studying medical education and evaluating psychoeducational and behavioral interventions, with
an emphasis on interview and survey research methods.
Xiaodong (Phoenix) Chen, PhD
Instructor in Surgery, Brigham in Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical
School
Project Title: Exploring effective educational interventions to improve
residents' autonomy in the operating room in Surgery and OB/GYN
Cindy Ku, MD
Instructor in Anaesthesia, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,
Harvard Medical School
Project Title: MINTOR: Measuring Intubation in the OR
Margaret Hayes, MD
Instructor in Medicine, John Hopkins University -School of Medicine
Project Title: Improving End-of-Life Care in the ICU
Daniel Saddawi-Konefka, MD
Instructor in Anaesthesia, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical
School
Project Title: The Combined Effects of Retrieval-Based Learning and Mental
Contrasting with Implementation Intentions on Self-Directed Resident
Learning
Who's Who in the Harvard Medical School
Academy
Brian Nahed, MD
Dr. Brian Nahed specializes on brain tumors (glioblastoma, gliomas,
metastatic brain tumors, and meningiomas) as well as Spinal Disorders. He
was born in New York. He attended University of California at Los Angeles
where he majored in Neuroscience, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He attended
the Yale School of Medicine where he was awarded the Doris Duke Clinical
Research Fellowship to study the genetics of intrancranial aneurysms. He
completed internship and neurosurgery residency at the Massachusetts
General Hospital. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Drs.
Daniel Haber and Shyamala Maheswaran. Dr. Nahed joined the MGH
Department of Neurosurgery and the Brain Tumor Center in 2011. He is an
assistant professor and teaching faculty member of Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Brian Nahed's research focuses on circulating brain tumor cells and
metastatic disease. In collaboration with Drs. Daniel Haber and Shyamala
Maheswaran, Dr. Nahed's research has received several grants and awards
and has been
presented at national conferences. Dr. Nahed is actively enrolling patients
with brain tumors into his research study. Dr. Brian Nahed is an active member of the American Association
of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and serves on national committees for the
Tumor Section and Council of State Neurological Surgeons. He is serves as a neurotrauma consultant for the
National
Football
League
(NFL)
Kimberlyn Leary, PhD, MPA
Kimberlyn Leary is an associate professor of psychology at the Harvard
Medical School and chief psychologist at the Cambridge Health Alliance. She is
also a faculty affiliate at the program on negotiation at Harvard Law School
and a senior policy advisor at the White House Office of National Drug Control
Policy. Leary began her career as a clinical practitioner focused on improving
access to diverse communities. Her early work on "negotiated transactions" in
psychotherapy expanded to broader research on negotiation and conflict
management. Leary's global work on conflict negotiations includes studying
"critical moments" in mediations to end armed conflict in Southeast Asia and
researching social enterprise ventures in the Middle East. She teaches courses
on leadership and conflict transformation to undergraduates at Harvard
College, on advanced negotiation and mediation to senior executives at
Harvard Law School, and on physician-community engagement and the
doctor-patient relationship at Harvard Medical School. In her work as chief
psychologist at the Cambridge Health Alliance, Leary directs the division of
psychology and its training programs to deliver culturally sensitive care
supporting the hospital's primary care centers, specialty mental health, and
acute emergency services. This work includes facilitating partnerships with community agencies, law
enforcement, and school systems and assisting with the health system's transformation to becoming an
accountable care organization. Leary received her BA from Amherst College, her MPA from the Harvard
Kennedy School, and her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan. She received
additional postgraduate training as a psychoanalyst. For the past four years, she was the scientific program
chair of the American Psychoanalytic Association.
The Shapiro Institute for Education and Research at HMS and BIDMC is pleased
to announce the
Rabkin Fellows in Medical Education for 2015 - 2016
The Rabkin Fellowship in Medical Education was established in 1998 to provide faculty with an opportunity
to develop the expertise and skills needed to launch or advance academic careers in medical education
and/or academic administration.
Asha Anandaiah, MD
Pulmonary
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Glenn Gaviola, MD
Radiology
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Mary Jane Houlihan, MD
Surgery
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Alan Malabanan, MD
Endocrinology
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Heather Vestal, MD
Psychiatry
McLean Hospital
Ariel Winn, MD
Pediatrics
Boston Children's Hospital
Please join us in congratulating our colleagues on this wonderful opportunity!
Upcoming Academy Events:
Medical Education Grand Rounds: Designing a Post-Clerkship Curriculum for Pathways:
Creative Ideas and Best Practices- RSVP
Edward M. Hundert, M.D, Dean for Medical Education, Harvard Medical School
Bonnie M. Miller, M.D., Senior Associate Dean for Health Sciences Education and Associate ViceChancellor for Health Affairs, Vanderbilt School of Medicine
Friday, May 1, 2015- 7:30-9:00AM TMEC 227
The launch of the Pathways curriculum this summer will make possible a completely new approach to the
post-clerkship curriculum at HMS. With 19 months between the end of the PCE and graduation, novel
opportunities can be considered for integrated science courses as well as new approaches to clinical electives
and sub-internships, scholarly research, and more. In this session, Dr. Hundert will introduce some ideas
for discussion about how HMS might consider the planning for the post-clerkship curriculum, and Dr. Miller
will describe the approach that Vanderbilt School of Medicine has taken, having moved their core clerkships
to year two to create this same opportunity. Participants will be encouraged to ask Dr. Miller about details of
the Vanderbilt experience and to give Dr. Hundert input on how HMS should move forward in designing
years three and four of Pathways.
Inter-Hospital Collaborative: Advancing consultative medicine through teachingRSVP
Eli Miloslavsky MD, Instructor in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital
Jakob McSparron MD, Instructor in Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Wednesday, May 13, 2015 - 4:15-5:30 pm TMEC 250
The presenters will explore the teaching interaction between residents and fellows in Internal Medicine and
describe interventions to improve this interaction.
Academy Symposium: The Many Flavors of Scholarly Writing: Possibilities and
Practicalities-RSVP
The Doctor as Writer
Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, Professor of Surgery, HMS, Professor of Health Policy and Management, HSPH
Thursday, May 14, 2015 1:00-3:30PM
This mini-symposium by the HMS Academy Workgroup on Writing for Scholarship will discuss multiple
avenues that are available for scholarly medical writing in addition to writing scientific articles for peerreviewed journals. The symposium will feature a Keynote Address by Dr. Atul Gawande who will discuss his
career in medical writing and the approaches physician-writers take to writing for general audiences. The
Keynote will be followed by four concurrent workshops on 1) writing and editing textbooks, 2) common
ethical issues in medical/scientific writing; 3) practical ways to overcome common writing challenges to
develop a successful writing strategy, and 4) writing grant proposals.
Medical Education Grand Rounds: For Modern Pedagogy, Do We Lecture or "Flip"? And
How? An Exercise and Analysis of Animating the Classroom- RSVP
David Hirsh, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Director of the HMS Academy
Friday, June 5, 2015- 7:30-9:00AM TMEC 227
What can moral philosophy teach about modern pedagogy? As education planners increasingly design time
in class to be active, participant-oriented, iterative, developmentally-aligned and effective, the requirements
of teachers are changing. To stretch participants' pedagogic abilities and orientation, this session will engage
the participants in a dynamic live-exercise in moral philosophy. Thereby, learners will take part in, consider,
and assess aspects of dynamic pedagogy that they might apply in their contexts. Just as serving patients is
ultimately a "moral practice," so, too, will be this session...
New Medical Education Pubmed Citations
from Academy Members
Please note that we use an automated search system to identify new pubmed-cited medical education
literature. If we have missed a medical education paper you have published, please let us know. Also,
please let us know if you have published medical education materials on MedEdPortal or other sites.
Bijol V, Byrne-Dugan CJ, Hoenig MP. Medical student web-based formative assessment tool for renal
pathology. Med Educ Online. 2015 Mar 31;20:26765. doi: 10.3402/meo.v20.26765. eCollection 2015.
PMID: 25833824 [PubMed - in process]
Briggs A, Raja AS, Joyce MF, Yule SJ, Jiang W, Lipsitz SR, Havens JM. The Role of Nontechnical Skills in
Simulated Trauma Resuscitation. J Surg Educ. 2015 Mar 26. pii: S1931-7204(15)00036-7. doi:
10.1016/j.jsurg.2015.01.020. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 25817012 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Dworetzky BA, Peyre S, Bubrick EJ, Milligan TA, Yule SJ, Doucette H, Pozner CN. Interprofessional
simulation to improve safety in the epilepsy monitoring unit. Epilepsy Behav. 2015 Mar 23. pii: S15255050(15)00025-6. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.01.018. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 25812939 [PubMed - as
supplied by publisher]
Roberts LW, Maldonado Y, Coverdale JH, Balon R, Louie AK, Beresin EV. The critical need to diversify the
clinical and academic workforce. Acad Psychiatry. 2014 Aug;38(4):394-7. doi: 10.1007/s40596-014-0175y. Epub 2014 Jul 3. No abstract available. PMID: 24989990 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Iyer SV, Dutton CR. Screening for Intimate Partner Violence in an Outpatient Gynecology Clinic Setting
[191]. Obstet Gynecol. 2015 May;125 Suppl 1:63S-64S. PMID: 25930525 [PubMed - as supplied by
publisher]
Schapira L. Communications by Professionals in Palliative Care. Clin Geriatr Med. 2015 May;31(2):231243. doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2015.01.005. Epub 2015 Feb 26. Review. PMID: 25920058 [PubMed - as supplied
by publisher]
Schwartzstein RM. Getting the right medical students--nature versus nurture. N Engl J Med.
2015 Apr 23;372(17):1586-7. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp1501440. No abstract available. PMID:
25901425 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]