Teaching Philosophy

Problem-Based Learning: 

Problem-based learning (PBL) serves as a cornerstone of my teaching philosophy. By presenting learners with authentic clinical scenarios, I  seek to encourage active engagement and critical thinking. Through collaborative efforts to solve real-world challenges, students not only acquire foundational knowledge but also develop analytical skills that I believe are essential for their future clinical practice. 

Incorporating Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM): 

In today's rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, I believe that a solid understanding of evidence-based medicine principles is paramount to continuing to improve our delivery of healthcare. As such, whenever possible I look to integrate EBM principles into teaching sessions. By critically appraising research literature and applying findings to clinical scenarios, students not only learn to navigate the vast sea of medical information but also develop their own framework to stay up to date on best clinical practices rather than falling into historical practice patterns.  In addition, I believe that an understanding of evidence-based medicine also helps to foster an appropriate sense of clinical humility that encourages learners to remain "life-long" learners. 

Mastery Learning of Medical Procedures: 

Proficiency in medical procedures is often essential for delivering high-quality patient care. I employ a mastery learning approach to ensure that learners acquire procedural skills with precision and confidence. The mastery learning principles that I specifically look to integrate into my teaching are deliberate practice, simulation-based training, and structured real-time feedback.  More plainly, I believe that deliberate Iterative practice is the most efficient way to teach procedures, and allows learners with wide variations in prior procedural experience to end up at the same skill level given enough time. In essence,  I believe that any student who engages in repetitive practice can achieve mastery. My approach emphasizes not just procedural proficiency but also patient safety and procedural accuracy and focuses heavily on real-time feedback either during a procedure or right after a procedure. This feedback serves both as a way to highlight areas of needed Improvement and also to reaffirm the strengths of the learner which can be of equal benefit. 

Fostering Learning Through Failure: 

Finally, I believe that failure, when allowed for in an appropriately supportive environment,  is an integral part of the learning process. By creating a supportive environment that encourages risk-taking and experimentation, I look to empower learners to embrace failure as a stepping stone toward growth. Mistakes are viewed not as setbacks but as opportunities for reflection and improvement. By providing constructive feedback following times of failure and then encouraging guided reflection, students learn resilience and adaptability which I believe are crucial to future medical practice. 

Teaching Goals:

• Cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving skills through problem-based learning.

• Instill a commitment to evidence-based medicine principles, which guide clinical decision-making processes.

• Foster mastery of medical procedures through deliberate practice and simulation-based training.

• Encourage a culture of learning through failure, where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for growth and improvement.

• Provide personalized feedback and support to learners, facilitating continuous improvement and skill refinement.