“Time is a gift,” “Be present,” and “Learn from everyone” were the inspiring words spoken by Sarah Wood, MD, faculty director of the Harvard Macy Institute (HMI), as we started the Leading Innovation in Health Care and Education program in June 2024.
I applied to attend the program for two reasons. First, at the encouragement of Professor Mike Larvin, the pro vice chancellor of the College of Medicine and Health at Bangor University, a steadfast supporter of HMI since its inception. Second, to develop my leadership and innovation skills in a diverse, collaborative, and international environment.
As the newly appointed dean of medicine for the North Wales Medical School (NWMS) at Bangor University in North Wales — one of the newest medical schools in the United Kingdom. The opportunity to lead to the development and delivery of a new medical school is both an exciting and challenging opportunity. The principles taught in this program have been relevant, useful, and transformative, especially in my approach to leading and introducing innovation. The introduction of the concept that has had a profound impact on my approach is “the job to be done.” I have applied this concept to the values, goals, and mission of NWMS as we work to:
-
Increase the number of local medical graduates
-
Widen access to careers in medicine for individuals in all communities
-
Improve care for Welsh speakers with more Welsh-speaking doctors
The program introduced me to design thinking and disruptive innovation. The idea of learning how to disrupt to make things better has stayed with me and guides my leadership so that I can address the “job to be done” in partnership with my excellent team. The introduction to the literature for the basis of different innovations and ideas provided a space to think creatively. However, it was the people —the HMI community—who truly made the experience extraordinary. The Harvard Macy community is something that is spoken of highly prior to attending the course, but the experience was truly a welcome surprise. This is a community that encourages innovation, validates fresh ideas, and supports purposeful change. Experiencing this firsthand exceeded my expectations.
After attending the program, I did return to my home institution a “wet dog”! This metaphor is frequently shared by HMI faculty to describe the enthusiasm and energy HMI scholars bring back with them when the course ends. One area that I am most enthused about is the introduction of technological advancement in health care, such as AI, which has the potential to free time for us as both clinicians and educators to connect with our patients and learners and to support one another in the delivery of health care.
An area that I believe will encourage this development is narrative medicine - an integration of philosophy, literature, poetry, art, and social sciences into healthcare education and practice, which has benefits not only for us as practitioners but also for our patients. The importance of making room for storytelling, narrative medicine, and meaningful reflections improves our ability to connect with patients, their families, and our peers. It enhances communication and the ability to attend and affiliate with our patients; increases empathy by improving active listening and the valuing differences, also fosters our own self-awareness and personal development. As Edmund D. Pellegrino wrote, “The physician who does not understand his own humanity can hardly heal another’s.”
The opportunity to gain insights from international leaders and to join the Harvard Macy Institute community has been transformative. First, the power of belonging to a community that not only supports your innovation and curiosity but also positively encourages and enables your personal growth. Second, the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone, and learning is to be uncomfortable—as that is where meaningful change begins. The Art Museum-based Health Professions Education Fellowship is the next Harvard Macy Institute program that I am eager to embrace.
Did you know that the Harvard Macy Institute Community Blog has had more than 425 posts? Previous blog posts have interviewed other Leading Innovation in Health Care and Education alumni such as Josh Owalabi (Educators ‘25, Leaders ‘23; T3 ‘24) and Malaya Santos (Leaders ’20).
Nia Jones
