Student Perspective | December 17, 2024
For Alexandre Gouveia, MD, the decision to pursue the Master of Medical Sciences in Medical Education program at Harvard Medical School (HMS) was not just about furthering his career—it was also about transforming his approach to teaching and leadership in medical education. A practicing physician with a robust background in clinical and academic settings, Gouveia is using the program to refine his skills and pioneer new educational interventions for the ever-evolving challenges of modern medicine.
Gouveia’s journey began in Lisbon, Portugal, where he earned his medical degree in 2004. Following his postgraduate training as a family physician, he dedicated himself to primary care and medical education. From 2009 to 2014, Gouveia balanced his work as a general practitioner in Portugal’s National Health Service with educational roles at the University of Minho, in the city of Braga, primarily teaching general practice to third- and fourth-year medical students.
In 2014, Gouveia moved to Switzerland, where his career took a turn. As the head of a general internal medicine training unit, Gouveia became responsible for training future general practitioners at the Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Despite his extensive experience, Gouveia sought formal training to enhance his impact as an educator. “A lot of clinicians and physicians participate in educational activities, but they have not received formal training in medical education”, he notes. “It was important for me to leverage my knowledge, my skills, and my attitudes, and to become more proficient at dealing with the challenges that medical education faces nowadays in the post-pandemic era.”
When exploring postgraduate programs, Gouveia had clear criteria. He needed a hybrid, part-time program that would allow him to balance his professional responsibilities while gaining rigorous, research-oriented training. For him, Harvard Medical School offered the flexibility of remote learning and a strong focus on research. He also valued the program’s emphasis on making meaningful contributions to medical education scholarship. “It’s not only about acquiring theoretical skills in medical education but also about being able to understand research—and then conducting and implementing clinical research in medical education locally and eventually internationally.”
Now in his third year of the program, Gouveia is fully immersed in his thesis project. Guided by mentors like Richard Schwartzstein, MD, and Arabella Simpkin Begin, MD, PhD, MMSc, Gouveia is exploring the role of generative artificial intelligence in managing clinical uncertainty. His study investigates how AI-powered chatbots can support primary care physicians in addressing complex clinical dilemmas. “I’m looking forward to understanding the impact of educational interventions associated with chatbots in dealing with clinical uncertainty in the primary care setting,” he explains.
Gouveia highlights two aspects of the program that have exceeded his expectations: the collaborative online environment and the close-knit community of learners. “I was skeptical at the beginning, but participating in the program and doing several hours of live Zoom sessions is leveraging all my knowledge. The program is structured to help us become active participants in this online learning experience,” he says.
The small cohort sizes, intentionally designed to encourage collaboration, have been another source of inspiration. “We developed this close relationship with all the participants,” Gouveia says. “We share our thoughts, as well as our difficulties. It’s not always simple. We have stressful moments, and we need to support each other. This helps us to achieve success in this very enthusiastic and stimulating but also demanding program.”
For those considering the Master of Medical Sciences in Medical Education, Gouveia offers candid advice: “You need to love medical education. It has to be one of your passions, because it’s going to be a transformative experience. I firmly believe that you’re going to be a top medical educator at the end of this program.”
Gouveia emphasizes the importance of transparency and dedication, recognizing that the program demands significant effort and commitment. “I think that the program has a lot of honesty, transparency, and also solidarity, and this is one of the keys to its success; we know what we are expected to deploy from the beginning, because this is really quite explicit from the application process and all the selection of the candidates.”
With graduation on the horizon in 2026, Gouveia remains enthusiastic about the transformative nature of the program. It has equipped him with the skills and insights needed to navigate and innovate within the evolving field of medical education. He looks forward to applying these lessons to enhance training programs and improve patient care within his institution and beyond.
For Gouveia, the Master of Medical Sciences in Medical Education is not just a degree—it’s a launchpad for innovation and leadership in medical education. Through his research and dedication, he is helping to shape the future of health care.
Written by Bailey Merlin