Academic Medicine Podcast

Tammy Shaw, MD, MMed, and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee member Arianne Teherani, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss new research into learner perspectives on the learner handover process. They discuss the role of trust in this process, the potential for bias, the purpose of handovers vs. how they're perceived by learners, and recommendations for making handovers safer and more effective. This episode is the first in this year’s 3-part series of discussions with RIME authors about their medical education research and its implications for the field. Check back next week for the next episode in this series.  A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org.

I am not sure whether she attended my graduation, but her words were with me then and have remained with me throughout my decade-long career. Each time I have wanted to quit nursing, I hear her voice and recall her words of encouragement. Perioperative nurse and Master of Science in nursing student Nicole Diddi reflects on a deeply human exchange shared with a patient’s wife that reminded her to put humanity at the heart of her nursing practice. This essay placed third in the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the October 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

We come into medicine wanting to heal our patients, believing that we are here solely to help them. But I could not heal my patient. Instead, my patient healed me. Fourth-year medical student Emily Otiso reflects on a patient who reminded her that connection is the soul of her work. This essay placed third in the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the October 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

This episode is a companion to the August 2023 Ensuring Fairness in Medical Education Assessment supplement, which was sponsored by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. The supplement focuses on creating an optimal, equitable system of learner assessment. In this episode, Holly Humphrey, MD, president of the Macy Foundation, discusses the origins of the supplement and the recommendations shared by the authors for fostering equity in assessment. Then the authors of each of the included papers share a summary of their work, including their key findings and takeaways to guide thinking on promoting fairness in assessment. Finally, Dowin Boatright, MD, MBA, MHS, a member of the planning committee for the conference that led to this supplement, discusses where medical education should go from here.  A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org.

On a Thursday afternoon in clinic, in a situation made for learning, not grading, my learner taught me the essence of effective formative feedback. And for that lesson, I am forever grateful. Belinda Fu reflects on a student who taught her that helpful feedback must have formative simplicity. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the September 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

The next day, I knocked on the door of Room 412 armed with a bottle of baby blue nail polish. Not an elixir, but an oath—to face the unknown together, to sit with the uncomfortable silence, and to meet her in the middle, wherever that may be. Meher Kalkat reflects on accepting the messiness of life and the not having all the answers. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the August 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

There will be a day when you are overlooked. You are not chosen. You will have worked hard, put in the time, been the next in line, and been ready, eager, and energetic to give it a whirl and still you are told no. Molly Uhlenhake gives her daughters advice on moving forward and continuing on despite life’s disappointments.   The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Sam Clarke, MD, MAS, and Jon Ilgen, MD, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss the importance of teaching adaptive expertise to prepare learners for the types of complex cases they will encounter in clinical practice. This conversation also covers what adaptive expertise is, how simulation can be used to foster this skill in learners, and the complementary relationship between performance-oriented cases and adaptive cases in health professions education. A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org.

Shifting eyes, quivering lips, and fidgeting fingers can tell a million stories, but only if we open our eyes to those who are silently asking for help. Alexandra Cohen reflects on how making assumptions can harm the therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

This family taught me that it is exactly these patients—who are rightfully frustrated and afraid—who will push us and our institutions to improve. Instead of resisting that critique, we should support our patients in expressing it. Rebecca F.P. Long reflects on accepting that providers will not always meet patients’ expectations, despite their best efforts, and what to do when it occurs. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the June 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Academic Medicine's editors–Colin West, MD, PhD, Yoon Soo Park, PhD, Jonathan Amiel, MD​, and Gustavo Patino, MD, PhD–join host Toni Gallo to share practical guidance for designing and reporting quantitative research. They share tips for success and flaws to avoid around designing your study, using descriptive and inferential statistics, and analyzing and presenting your data. While the advice in this episode comes from the editors of Academic Medicine, much of it also applies to designing and reporting quantitative research for other journals and publications.  A transcript of this episode and additional resources are available at academicmedicineblog.org.

Small gestures, such as sparking a conversation when a student volunteers a personal detail, cultivate a welcoming and inclusive environment. Performing these gestures publicly changes the status quo of how others behave and treat those around them, slowly etching away at cultures and institutions that exclude others. An anonymous resident reflects on the sometimes unwelcoming environments she experienced as a new mother who was completing surgical sub internships. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the May 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Academic Medicine's editors--Bridget O'Brien, PhD, Jonathan Amiel, MD​, Megan Brown, MBBS(H), PhD, and Laura Hirshfield, PhD--join host Toni Gallo to share practical guidance for designing and reporting qualitative research. They make recommendations for getting started, choosing a methodology, and effectively using published guidelines. Then they dispel common myths around writing up and publishing qualitative research. While the advice in this episode comes from the editors of Academic Medicine, much of it also applies to designing and reporting qualitative research for other journals and publications.  A transcript of this episode and links to the resources mentioned are available at academicmedicineblog.org.

It is my hope that continuing to play with some dirt on my uniform will model to others that they can pick themselves up after they are knocked down and get ready for the next play. Benjamin Vipler reflects on getting his confidence back and turning negative experiences into positive lessons. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the May 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

The next time that I am unwell, I will take a real sick day—and I hope my colleagues, students, and resident physicians see it. Kathryn Rampon reflects on the detrimental effects of physicians’ reluctance to take time off when ill. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the April 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

As medical professionals, our patients are putting their trust in us at their most vulnerable moments. It is our responsibility to handle that trust with respect, understand what they need from us both medically and socially, and advocate for those needs. Medicine starts at the bedside with learning about the patient and from the patient. Caroline F. Zhao reflects on the importance of taking the time to recognize the humanism of patients and seeing them for more than just their conditions. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the April 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Author Michael Gisondi, MD, provides an overview of this recently published qualitative study in which he and his coauthors examined key stakeholders’ opinions about several proposed reforms to the residency application process. Based on their findings, Gisondi and his coauthors identified important factors to guide future reforms. This article was published in the February 2023 issue of Academic Medicine and can be read at academicmedicine.org.

Since 2020, learning to treat patients with COVID-19 reminds me that we remain humble learners of medicine. All our resources have been stretched—rooms, staff, equipment, compassion—and yet our patients are plentiful and continue to provide us with ample learning opportunities. Cara E. Harasaki recalls two patients, seen years apart, who taught her that physicians never stop learning. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the March 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

As medical professionals, it is tempting to cultivate a razor-sharp focus on symptoms and diagnoses. Robby helped me realize our former approach was like a racehorse with blinders: fast, but risking missing something important. Brian R. Smith recalls an encounter with a special patient that made him think about restructuring visits to better identify patients’ crucial personal life events. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the March 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Faith is relevant to the clinical interaction when it gives patients and clinicians a shared ground upon which to stand in the midst of chaos, and my experience … showed me that spirituality can effect healing when all else fails. Troy B. Amen reflects on how sharing a faith with patients can sometimes provide comfort and support when they need it most. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the March 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.