Highlights | Excellence in clinical teaching
- The Center for Leadership and Innovation in Medical Education offers a Clinical Teaching Certificate.
- More than 160 faculty participated in live, online sessions and virtual modules.
- Free registration is now open for the 2022-2023 cohort.
Faculty from clinical departments throughout the UW School of Medicine participated in the inaugural “UW School of Medicine Clinical Teaching Certificate” program during the 2021-2022 academic year.
The free certificate program is led by Somnath Mookherjee, MD, associate professor of Medicine and associate director for the Center for Leadership and Innovation in Medical Education (CLIME). The program is designed to strengthen the clinical teaching skills of faculty who work with learners, including students, residents and fellows.
In its first year, more than 160 participants enrolled in the certificate program, including more than 60 from throughout the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (WWAMI) region. Thus far, more than 50 participants have completed all requirements to earn the certificate.
“It was gratifying to see the response from the faculty when we announced the program. There has been so much enthusiasm and appreciation,” says Amanda Garza, certificate program manager.
Highlighting key concepts in clinical teaching
The certificate program is intended to foster a shared mental model of excellent teaching and increase professional satisfaction for participants working to grow as clinical teachers. Participants teach in various clinical settings, including the operating room, emergency department, hospital wards and outpatient clinics in many specialties. Program participants include new faculty and those with decades of clinical experience.
“The certificate program was really helpful in providing knowledge and tools to develop skills in formal teaching, in my role as resident simulation co-director, as well as in daily informal clinical teaching in the operating room,” says certificate recipient Bukola Ojo, MD, assistant professor of Anesthesiology.
Health Sciences Librarian Anna Liss Jacobsen, MA, MLS, assisted in the program design, identifying evidence and resources for each session.
Exceptional faculty lead high-yield sessions
Expert clinical teachers lead six live, online core certificate sessions. Session topics and faculty include:
- Learning Climate with Addie McClintock, MD
- Understanding and Retention with Laura Goodell, MD, and Kathryn Lowe, MD
- Teaching Efficiently with Somnath Mookherjee, MD
- Teaching in the Presence of Patients with Renata Thronson, MD
- Feedback with Katherine Michaelsen, MD, MASc, and Liz Schackmann, MD
- Assessment with Alan Yang, MD, Tomoko Sairenji, MD, and Jeanne Cawse-Lucas, MD
The inaugural certificate program live sessions were highly rated by participants, who found them relevant, timely, professional and worthy of recommendation to other faculty or colleagues.
“Attendees were really engaged and said that they appreciated the opportunities for reflection and thinking about their own practices. They had chances to talk about and work through common teaching challenges that we all share in one way or another,” says certificate faculty Addie McClintock, MD, assistant professor of Medicine.
Reasonable time commitment respects other demands on faculty
The program was designed to respect demands on faculty time. Six two-hour live virtual Zoom sessions are provided throughout the academic year with participants in Seattle and from throughout the WWAMI region. After attending a session, participants can access an online module that reinforces the lessons and helps faculty transfer what they learned to their own clinical teaching practices. Faculty can earn the certificate over multiple years, and registration is open year-round to accommodate as many faculty as possible.
Enrollment for 2022-2023 is now open
“It is exciting to see a program so successful with its first cohort. We look forward to enrolling another group of excellent faculty dedicated to refining their expertise as teachers, and continually improving the program so that it meets the needs of all participants and subsequently the learners who benefit so greatly in the clinical space,” says Kristina Dzara, PhD, MMSc, assistant dean for Educator Development and director for CLIME.
All interested participants affiliated with UW School of Medicine, including those throughout the WWAMI region, are encouraged to participate. Registration is now open for the second cohort taking place during the 2022-2023 academic year. Up to 18 AMA PRA Category 1 CME Credits are available for participants, depending on level of participation in live sessions and online modules. Direct questions to UW CLIME leadership.
