The Harvard Macy Institute Podcast aims to connect our Harvard Macy Institute community and to develop our interest in health professions education topics and literature. Our podcast is hosted by our Program for Educators in the Health Professions course faculty Victoria Brazil, and will feature interviews with health professions education authors and their research papers.
In this episode we speak with Liz Gaufberg and Shalice McKnight about ‘assumptions’, particularly our assumptions about teaching and learning.
Assumption: Something we take to be true without proof. This simple definition belies the complexity of how our assumptions drive our behavior. Some assumptions are explicit (and we are aware of them), but most are implicit; biases and beliefs under our awareness but still powerfully influencing our actions.
Our assumptions about teaching and learning might require considering some fundamental questions: What is learning? (informative/transformative); What is the difference between teaching and learning? What is the role of a teacher? (Expert? Guide? Coach? Co-learner) Goal of educational institutions? (carry on traditions/make change) In practice, we want to be principle-driven vs. defaulting to formats we are familiar with.
Liz Gaufberg is Associate Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and Director of Professional and Academic Development at the Cambridge Health Alliance. Liz founded and co-directs the Harvard Macy Institute Art Museum-based Health Professions Education Fellowship.
Shalice McKnight is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist subspecializing in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She practices at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Northern VA where she supports military dependents through a uniquely embedded school-based collaborative behavioral health program. She is a Co-Lead for the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task-Force. Shalice is a 2021-2022 alumna of the Program for Educators in the Health Professions
In our conversation, Shalice and Liz share personal and professional stories of reflection on their assumptions. We discuss core elements of the Program for Educators in the Health Professions that support this, including the Step Back consultation method in project groups, and Liz’s own sessions in the program. We talk about humble inquiry, the power of listening, and taking just a moment when we think ‘WTF’. (thank you Jenny Rudolph)
Watch out for new episodes this year which will be announced on our blog and our Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook social media channels.
Did you know that the Harvard Macy Institute Community Blog has had more than 320 posts? Previous blog posts have explored topics including leading up leading, just in time simulation for high stakes communication, and the learning hospital.
Victoria Brazil, MD (Educators, ’05, Leaders ’07, Assessment ‘10) is Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of Simulation at Bond University Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine. Her research interests include podcasting and simulation, and she is co-producer of Simulcast - a podcast about healthcare simulation. Victoria can be followed on Twitter.
HMI Podcast
