Educational Landscapes

J. William Eley MD, MPH is Executive Associate Dean of Medical Education in Emory University School of Medicine. In this episode Bill talks about his journey from planning to be a high school chemistry teacher to ultimately pursing medicine and public health degrees. He also speaks about his passions for building community and meaningful relationships with others. Bill's words of wisdom include "do the next right thing in front of you and it will lead you to those places that you feel fulfilled and you are helping others", "if we feel we're in a place where we're able to use our talents to do good work to help other people, what else can we ask for our work life?", and "we have to develop meaningful relationships with our learners. It is essential to everything positive that we do on this earth."

Resources

• The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)
• CBCT® | Cognitively-Based Compassion Training - Emory University

Trina Geyer, PhD, RN, NPD-BC, NEA-BC is Director for Nursing Leadership and Development at Emory Healthcare. In this episode Trina shares her passions for professional development and talks about the importance of recognizing that we are all leaders, "regardless of your title, your position, your role, your practice setting, you bring leadership capabilities to the work that you do" and that asking questions is important because "sometimes you don't know what you don't know, and individuals might make assumptions about what you don't know. So if you don't ask questions, if you don't seek clarification, it can hinder your growth and stagnate your growth opportunities". Her other words of wisdom include "if individuals can tap into something that they love and are passionate about early and then develop that over time, that's great. But if you cannot, that is also okay. Life will present many opportunities, and as long as you are learning, you are always winning, you are always growing, and eventually you will be on a path to get you to where you are supposed to be."

Resources

• Sigma Home Page
• ANPD - The Association for Nursing Professional Development
• American Organization for Nursing Leadership
• From novice to expert : excellence and power in clinical nursing practice | WorldCat.org

Yolanda Hood, PhD is Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management and Multicultural Affairs and Executive Director for the National HCOP [Health Careers Opportunity Program] Academy at Emory University School of Medicine. In this episode Yolanda talks about her full-circle journey from being a product of Atlanta Public Schools [APS] to leading pipeline programs such as Summer Science Academy and EPiC that introduce APS students to opportunities in higher education and provide mentoring and education to help prepare them for matriculating into various higher education programs. Her words of wisdom include "seek mentorship. You don't know what you don't know until someone points it out" and "If you just see someone that's, in my opinion, rocking it and doing great things, ask. Meet with them and see if they would be willing to sit down and talk to you and eventually, that becomes a mentorship relationship."

Resources

• AAMC - Group on Student Affairs (GSA)
• AAMC - Group on Diversity and Inclusion (GDI)
• AAMC - Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion
• Emerging Leaders | Emory University | Atlanta GA
• Excellence Through Leadership | Emory University | Atlanta GA

J. Richard Pittman, MD is Sub-Internship Director for Internal Medicine and Stanford Clinical Training Program Facilitator in Emory University School of Medicine. In this episode Richard talks about his journey in academic medicine (and his passion for technology!), starting from a primarily clinical role to a "teaching doctor". He talks about the importance of interpersonal communication and listening skills, continually cultivating one's own knowledge, and empathizing with learners as keys skills for an educator and education leader. His words of wisdom include: "the most important thing about being a teacher is to really be an enthusiastic learner." "...when you do to start, you're probably not going to be a good educator if you think, 'I don't educate until I know it all.' But really seeing yourself as a co-journey or a co-traveler. And I know enough or I know a little bit more than them and I give it a go, and then I'm willing to learn from my own mistakes as a teacher." and "my mindset about succession planning is, and again, I got this advice from Dr. del Rio who's leading figure at Emory, but it's like that most jobs have a cycle time of somewhere between seven and 10 years. And that at the end of that period, it's probably a good idea for another person to be able to take it forward. And so, I really do kind of believe that while I pour my whole self into whatever role I'm doing, that often... It might be like writing a paper, if you've revised it a whole bunch, that you get to a point where you can't anymore and you need someone else to look at it, and I think that that'd be the way I think about a program. And so, I very proactively am always thinking about that, even though I'm really happy in the role that I have."

Resources

• ACP Internal Medicine Meeting
• Society of Hospital Medicine
• About - AAIM: Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM)
• Stanford Clinical Teaching Program

Beth Ann Swan, PhD, RN, FAAN is Associate Dean and Vice President for Academic Practice Partnerships and Interim Associate Dean for Education in Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University. In this episode Beth Ann talks about the importance of finding joy every day in what you do and introduces us to the concept of reverse mentoring and the three P's that guide her work: "people, partnerships, and performance". In reflecting on her career to date, Beth Ann talks about the importance of having mentors and how important it is to be open to new opportunities. Her words of wisdom include: "[it is] important for a person to know they have to really commit to the role and put their whole self in. You can't be half in and half out of leadership, you have to be all in. You have to be open to the infinite possibilities and when I say that it's the good things and the not so good things." and "You don't have to be the smartest person in the room, you can be that person who asks all the questions and I think people are better for it by asking."

Resources

• American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN)
• Woodruff Leadership Academy Home
• Wharton Nursing Leaders Program
• Nurse Leaders | AONL
• NLN Home
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellows

Gina Shannon, MAT is Director of Human Simulation Education Center, Emory University School of Medicine. In this episode Gina talks about her journery from teaching theater and dance at a college prep school to working as a communication coach and simulated/standardized patient through to her current leadership role. Gina is a strong proponent of experiential learning and as an education leader, she talks about how important it is to "cultivate a team that champions failures, that recognizes mistakes are okay" and "recognizing that our failures or mistakes can also fuel our successes". Her other words of wisdom include: "making sure that you're cultivating work environments that people feel like they can work, ask each other questions, and be able to support one another. If something happens and someone can't come in or do different parts of their work that someone else can pick it up." and "To be an educator, you also have to be a learner and become familiar with how you best learn."

Resources

• Find Your WHY – Simon Sinek
• Simulation in Healthcare
• Association of SP Educators
• Society for Simulation in Healthcare

Shawana S. Moore, DNP, MSN, CRNP, WHNP-BC is Director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University and President for the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health. In this episode Shawana talks about her journey from thinking she would be a marine biologist to her current role as a women's health nurse practitioner. Shawana talks about how equity and community are at the forefront of the work she does whether it is working with learners or leading in an organization. Her words of wisdom include: "lead from exactly where you are and seek mentorship to help support you on your leadership journey" and "being engaged and involved in formal leadership training is helpful as well."

Resources

• Sigma Home Page
• AACN Leadership Development
• Woodruff Leadership Academy
• NLN Leadership Institute
• National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health
• Emory University Post BSN DNP / Post MN DNP

José M. Villalón-Gómez, MD, MPH is program director for the Family Medicine Residency Program, Emory University School of Medicine. In this episode Jose talks about how his passion for education started as early as high school and how his mentors encouraged him to remain curious and try new things. As an educator and leader, he sees his roles as helping the future generations of physicians or learners and society in general. Some of his words of wisdom include: "I think this kind of position / role, we have to perceive it and treat it as a marathon. It's not a sprint. If you take it as a sprint or short race, you're going to get fatigue, you're going to get tired. That's where the burnout comes in. So you have to come in with a marathon runner perspective of find your pace, find your tempo, so then you can be an effective leader." and "I think that's one of the beauties of education is that knowledge is constantly changing and growing, and you have to really expose yourself and get out of your comfort zone to be an effective teacher. Because you're going to be teaching younger generations that are in a different mindset than the framework that you use to learn. So you have to adapt to those. And I think that's one of the reasons I enjoy teaching is it keeps your heart young despite your body getting old."

Resources

• Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM)
• AFMRD : Association of Family Medicine Residecy Directors
• Residency Leadership Summit | AAFP

Will Bundy, MMSc, CHSE is Director of Simulation for the Master of Medical Science program in Anesthesiology at Emory University School of Medicine. In this episode, Will talks about his journey from a learner to his current roles as an educator and leader in the same program he graduated from. His passion for simulation has led to developing a joint sim or an interprofessional simulation where learners get to practice communication and teamwork in their future roles. Will's words of wisdom include "learn from everybody. Learn from the people that are obviously your teachers. I learn from my students all the time. Learn from your clinical preceptors. Learn from your coworkers. Everybody's got something that they can teach you, and rarely is a day going to go by where you can say you haven't learned anything new. Just being open and receptive to that puts you in the position where this is something that you can pursue."

Resources

• WHEA Fellowship in Educational Scholarship
• Society for Simulation in Healthcare

Liz Walker, PhD, MPH is Director of the Office of Evidence-Based Learning and Director of Graduate Studies for the MPH program in the Department of Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences (BSHES) at the Rollins School of Public Health. In this episode Liz talks about her "winding journey" from a history and biology double major in college, through a master's in teaching, to ultimately an MPH and PhD program in BSHES. Throughout her journey, her passion for education has been at the forefront and plays a central role in her educational leadership roles. Liz's words of wisdom include "give yourself grace. You can't learn everything all at once. And it'll take some time. And to make those relationships and lean on the other people who have either done it before or going through it with you, because that is crucial." and "Having your support system of like-minded people who can nerd out about teaching, and share ideas, and just be there has been really important.... I guess find your people."

Resources

• Home - Society for Public Health Education - SOPHE
• Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) – The Voice of Academic Public Health
• Center for Faculty Development and Excellence | Emory University | Atlanta GA