Can an environment of inclusion and belonging improve student performance? Heather Davis thinks so and talks about it in this episode. All too often, healthcare education uses a sink-or-swim approach. We eat our young. Heather proposes an educational community where students are welcome and given the tools they need to succeed. Listen to this episode to learn more about setting expectations, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, and involving all of your faculty members to further student success.

Heather Davis is the Director of Student Assessment at the David Geffen School of Medicine, and has been honored with the 2024 Rocco V. Morando Lifetime Achievement Award. She is responsible for managing a valid, reliable, and equitable assessment program used to enhance learning and verify the competency of undergraduate medical students at UCLA. She previously spent more than 20 years at the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care, in both the Associate Director and Program Director roles. As the Education Director for LA County Fire, she managed education programs for over 3000 firefighter EMTs and Paramedics. She holds a Doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Southern California, teaches as an Adjunct Professor in the Rossier School of Education, and served 15 years on the NREMT Board of Directors. Dr. Davis is a published author and national speaker. Her scholarly interests lie in learning and motivation, transfer of learning, and how issues of equity and inclusion impact learning and performance.