Unparalleled Training, Research

Impact: 2018-2019 Dean's Report

Advancing medical education

Harvard Medical School offers unparalleled opportunities in medical training at its 15 Boston-area affiliates, all of which excel in research, clinical innovation and professional training. Below are descriptions of some of the educational programs offered over the past year by these leading institutions.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Bridging Undergraduate and Graduate Medical Education

The Carl J. Shapiro Institute for Education and Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and HMS, in concert with the Association of American Medical Colleges, sponsored its 10th Millennium Conference, at which teams from HMS and eight other U.S. medical schools convened to work on a critical issue confronting medical education. The conference focused on pedagogical innovations that can more effectively bridge the transition from undergraduate to graduate medical education and on aligning teaching methods that nourish a culture of lifelong learning. More about the Millenium Conference

Boston Children's Hospital

Academy Promotes Clinical Teaching

The Boston Children’s Hospital Academy for Teaching and Educational Innovation and Scholarship presented a seminar series that promoted professional excellence in clinical teaching, focusing on topics such as effective strategies for supervising students and trainees, recognition of cognitive biases, improvement of small-group teaching, evaluations, teaching high-value care, and promoting teamwork and inclusivity.More about the Boston Children’s Hospital’s Academy for Teaching and Educational Innovation and Scholarship

Brigham and Women’s Hospital

STARS for Minority Students in Biomedicine

In 2018, Brigham and Women’s Hospital recruited eight college and first-year medical students from underrepresented populations in medicine from across the U.S. for its annual Summer Training in Academic Research and Scholarship (STARS) program, an intensive eight-week program hosted by Brigham and Women’s Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. Students were paired with a faculty mentor, received hands-on training in research methods, and were introduced to multiple career pathways in the biomedical sciences. A similar nine-week program, the Summer Research Training Program, is offered by Massachusetts General Hospital. More about STARS for Minority Students in Biomedicine

Cambridge Health Alliance

Medical Detective Rounds

Enhancing the Principal Clinical Experience of second-year students, Cambridge Health Alliance developed a longitudinal, case-based curriculum in clinical reasoning called Medical Detective Rounds. It is co-led by students and faculty mentors and draws an analogy between clinical reasoning and detective work, engaging learners with evolving clinical cases. It features group discussions on clinical reasoning and clinical skills assessments using Entrustable Professional Activities criteria and evaluations of learners’ preparation. MORE

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Poussaint Prematriculation Summer Program

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in partnership with the HMS Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs, provided entering students from populations underrepresented in medicine with the opportunity to explore the field of oncology via the Poussaint Pre-matriculation Summer Program at Dana-Farber, founded in 1970 to provide science courses and lab exposure ahead of students’ first semester at the School. Through courses, seminars, clinical shadowing and mentorship, the program promotes understanding of career options in oncology and its subspecialties. Information from the HMS Office of Recruitment & Multicultural Affairs

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute

Essentials of the Profession 2.0

Faculty at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute participated in a core leadership team that developed Essentials of the Profession II, a new monthlong required course for third- and fourth-year students that covers health policy, medical ethics, social medicine, clinical epidemiology and population health. The latter topic focuses on the application of tools in clinical epidemiology and population health, case-based collaborative learning, and a broad array of subtopics, including hospital infection control, population health management, opioids, nutrition policy and climate change. Pathways course information

Hebrew SeniorLife

Central Geriatrics Sessions

Hebrew SeniorLife hosted the Central Geriatrics Sessions, a program that provides first-year students with hands-on geriatrics training as they start to select their specialties and complete their studies. This opportunity to work alongside geriatrics staff allows students to apply their training and knowledge by directly engaging with residents and patients. More about Central Geriatrics Sessions

Joslin Diabetes Center

DiabetesSeriesLive

Joslin Diabetes Center reached more than 6,100 U.S. learners in academic year 2017–18 through its live interactive webcast DiabetesSeriesLive, a network of learning channels that provide online continuing medical education courses on glucose management and the comorbidities of diabetes, including specific complications such as diabetic retinopathy.

A spectrum of specialists present didactic forums followed by questions submitted in real time by online audiences along with case-based discussions to build skills.More about DiabetesSeriesLive

Judge Baker Children’s Center

Doctoral Psychology Internship in Clinical and School Psychology

Judge Baker Children’s Center, dedicated to bridging science and practice to improve access to high-quality behavioral health care for children in community settings, launched a doctoral psychology internship in clinical and school psychology. It is designed to train professional psychologists in health service psychology. Interns spend an intensive year embedded in the center’s direct service programs, where they build advanced skills to help children in clinical outpatient and school settings. More about Doctoral Psychology Internship in Clinical and School Psychology

Massachusetts Eye and Ear

Ophthalmology Hospitalist Program

Massachusetts Eye and Ear launched an Ophthalmology Hospitalist Program, in which hospitalists teach trainees to view the patient as a whole by focusing on patients’ clinical, social, economic and personal circumstances. The program supports the development of observational, technical, and clinical skills and judgment as well as helping trainees navigate relationships with other faculty, medical students, residents, fellows and hospital staff while working in an intense and complex environment.

Massachusetts General Hospital

Partners Centers of Expertise for Residents and Fellows

Massachusetts General Hospital participated in the Partners HealthCare Centers of Expertise for residents and fellows, an enrichment program that supports trainees at Mass General and Brigham and Women’s in four centers: Global and Humanitarian Health, Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety, Medical Education, and Health Policy and Management. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2018, the program cultivates relationships in interactive sessions where faculty describe their work and career paths. It also offers mini-courses and symposia, and provides grants to support research projects. More about the Partners Centers of Expertise for Residents and Fellows

McLean Hospital

Mental Health and Digital Technology

The Institute for Technology in Psychiatry at McLean Hospital continued to advance innovation at the intersection of mental health and digital technology. A clinical data science lab gives students academic credit and hands-on experience in exploring and analyzing big data in health care. In digital technology workshops, students learn how to create and implement projects using technologies such as smartphones and audiovisual tools.

Mount Auburn Hospital

HST Anchoring Clinical Experience

For the third year, Mount Auburn Hospital served as the singular site for the Anchoring Clinical Experience clerkship program for Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology students, which occurs after completion of the preclinical curriculum but before the transition to the lab. Students spend time in inpatient and outpatient services and participate in didactic case conferences that emphasize the role of critical thinking and clinical decision making. More about HST Anchoring Clinical Experience

Spaulding Rehabilitation Network

Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Healthcare

Faculty at Spaulding Rehabilitation Network directed a continuing medical education course called Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Healthcare. This program delivers evidence-based strategies, skills development and education that helps women at various stages of their health care career step into and succeed in leadership positions. It also cultivates female managerial talent in health care settings by developing leadership competencies. More about Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Healthcare

VA Boston Healthcare System

Streaming Faculty Development Opportunities

To advance interprofessional faculty development, leaders at the VA Boston Healthcare System created an online monthly continuing education program. Initially offered at its three major campuses and five community outpatient clinics, it is now streamed live to all 150 VA medical centers across the country. A complementary website allows presentations to be accessed on demand and provides other materials for physicians and trainees, including student and resident applications, information on wellness and burnout, educator awards and guidance for teaching. More about Streaming Faculty Development Opportunities