LEARNING COMMUNITIES INSTITUTE 16TH ANNUAL MEETING Agenda

8:00-12:00 PM 

LCI Research Network Meeting (for Research Network members)

David Hatem, Director-Elect and members of the Research Network Room 2247 (2nd floor)

12:00-12:30 PM 

LCI Research Network Lunch (for Research Network members only)

Room 2247 (2nd floor)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

12:00-12:30 PM

Pre Course Registration and Lunch

Health Education Building, Ad Astra Room (5th Floor)

12:30-12:45 PM 

Introduction and Welcome/Appreciations

David Hatem, University of Massachusetts and Maya Sardesai, University of Washington, Pre-Course Co-Directors
Health Education Building, Ad Astra Room (5th floor)

1:00-2:30 PM 

Workshop Session 1 (Choose 1)

3 room options: HEB 2211, HEB2213, HEB2249

2:30-2:45 PM

BREAK

2:45-4:15 PM

Workshop Session 2 (Choose 1)

3 room options: HEB 2211, HEB2213, HEB249

4:30-5:00 PM

Reconvening, Wrap up, Next Steps

David Hatem, Maya Sardesai, Pre-Course Co-Directors
Health Education Building, Ad Astra Room (5th floor)

7:15-8:00 AM 

Registration and Breakfast

Medical Alumni Societies Atrium (Lower Level)

Student Welcome Reception

Room G109 (Ground level)

8:00-8:15 AM

Welcome from KU School of Medicine – Kansas City and the Learning Communities Institute

Room B104/B102 (Lower Level)
Lauren Parker, University of Kansas School of Medicine

Membership Team Welcome

Caroline Harada, University of Alabama School of Medicine – UAB and Pete Gliatto, Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Co-Chairs, Membership Sub-Committee

8:15-8:30 AM

RESEARCH NETWORK PRESENTATION

8:30-9:30 AM

Keynote Address

Improving learning environments in medical education: What do learning communities have to do with it?

Learning environments are increasingly recognized as powerful shapers of health professions education and health care delivery. Many national organizations have initiated actions to create optimal learning and work environments without clear definitions or empirical research to guide such endeavors. This presentation builds on the results of a 2018 national consensus conference convened by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation titled: Improving Learning Environments for the Health Professions. Dr. Irby chaired this conference and will share a new framework for understanding learning environments, provide specific examples of interventions designed to create a positive environment, and explore the role learning communities offer to improve learner experiences in medical education.

Presented by David M. Irby, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Educational Researcher in the Center for Faculty Educators, University of California San Francisco

Dr. Irby is professor emeritus of medicine, educational researcher in the Center for Faculty Educators, and former vice dean for education at UCSF. His research has focused on understanding and improving clinical teaching, faculty development and medical curricula. Dr. Irby was a senior scholar at The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, where he co-directed a national study of medical education that culminated in the 2010 publication: Educating Physicians: A Call for Reform of Medical School and Residency. In 2018, he chaired a Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation national consensus conference on Improving Environments for Learning in the Health Professions. Prior to joining UCSF in 1997, he was a professor of medical education at the University of Washington. For his scholarship and leadership in medical education, he received awards from the Karolinska Institute, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the American Educational Research Association and the National Board of Medical Examiners among many others. Dr. Irby obtained a Masters of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary, a doctorate in education from the University of Washington, and a postdoctoral fellowship in academic administration from Harvard Medical School.

9:30-9:40 AM

BREAK

9:30-10:30 AM 

Hot Topics in Learning Communities

Each participant will choose ONE

10:30-11:00 AM

Break/Travel
poster presenters hang posters in the Ad Astra Room (5th floor)

See below for list of Poster Presentations

10:30-11:00 PM

Student Track

Room 2112 (2nd Floor)

11:00-12:30 pm

Attendees will choose ONE of the following
(either oral presentations or a workshop)

Oral Presentations 1

Room G109 (Ground Floor)

Dogs and Cats Teaching Together: Clinicians and Basic Scientists Collaboration in Learning Community Small Groups

Primary Presenter: Kelly Armstrong, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

A Call to Action: An evaluation of student interest in active learning opportunities in the learning community setting

Primary Presenter: Samantha Rios, University of Kansas School of Medicine

Creating a New Learning Community: 4 Pillars for Success

Primary Presenter: Suzanne Templer, Nova Southeastern University

Learning Together with MD and PA Collaborative LCs

Primary Presenter: Lars Osterberg, Stanford University School of Medicine

Med Student to Resident in 3 years: Learning Communities in Accelerated Pathways

Primary Presenter: Betsy Jones, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Workshop 1

Room 2110 (2nd Floor)

The Power of Your Strengths: Master Your Imposter Syndrome

Presenters: Bradley Barth, University of Kansas School of Medicine and Jennifer Capra, University of Kansas School of Medicine

Background: Imposter syndrome is the persistent feeling that you aren’t good enough and that everyone is about to find out “you are a fraud and shouldn’t be here.” It has been found to be pervasive both among students in medical training and among academic medical faculty at all stages of their career. Faculty and learners often struggle with imposter syndrome silently. Students early in their career are first learning how to act as physicians and often think they are the only one that doesn’t know what they are doing. We found that faculty involved in our learning communities often struggled with feeling fully authentic as a coach or an educator.

As we coached our learning community students through their struggles with imposter syndrome, we recognized that approaching this problem from a strengths based perspective seemed to be helpful. Based on this experience, we developed a workshop curriculum to use with faculty. As faculty work through this process, they develop the skills not only to “own” their imposter syndrome, but also to use these tools to help their students.

We will discuss the importance and the science of a strength-based focus for growth and self- improvement. Then each participant will use a tool to identify their strengths and have the opportunity to share their findings with tablemates. After identifying our strengths, we will discuss the linkage between operating from your strengths and increasing your feeling of authenticity. After this brief discussion, the participants will complete a self-assessment of their imposter syndrome. Following this, we will make the connections between strengths, authenticity and the imposter syndrome. Participants will identify opportunities for them to “own” their imposter syndrome and turn a weakness into an opportunity. They will develop strategies to experiment with authenticity and strength-based performance. We will wrap up the workshop with time for final discussion and questions. Participants will leave with tools and strategies to coach their students through their imposter syndrome.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the session, participants should be able to:

• Identify your educational strengths
• Practice ways to incorporate authenticity
• Develop strategies for incorporating your strengths into your teaching
• Practice techniques to combat your impostor syndrome.

Workshop 2

Room 3110 (3rd Floor)

Professional Development for Staff: Engagement, Motivation and Retention

Presenter: Katherine M. Anderson, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Julie S. Calcavecchia, UWSOM FCM & The Colleges; Erica Hyman, University of Colorado School of Medicine; Jason P. Noah, The University of Alabama School of Medicine - UAB; Jillian Palmer, Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Heather Smith, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Background: While much is made of the need for and value in professional development, it can be difficult for nonmedical administrative staff to feel like their professional development is valued and encouraged. There are formal professional development opportunities for faculty through Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits, conferences, and coaching and mentoring opportunities, but this is not the same for staff. This can lead to perpetuating the status quo instead of innovation and engagement. The LCI Administrators Sub-Committee is specifically tasked with being the voice for staff at member institutions and finding ways for staff to feel valued, engaged and motivated.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the session, participants should be able to:

• Define and understand expectations and desires for professional development from administrative staff
• Identify existing barriers to professional development and brainstorm solutions to overcoming these barriers
• Understand initiatives and efforts currently underway at LCI member institutions to ensure staff have access to professional development resources and opportunities
• Formulate plan for how the LCI Administrative Sub-Committee can guide institutions around identifying, developing and executing opportunities for engagement.

Workshop 3

Room 3112 (2nd Floor)

A Course to Introduce Learning Communities and Frame Medicine

Presenter: Elizabeth Yakes, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Background: Many medical schools manage the transition to medical school with brief logistical orientations and an abrupt move into the anatomy lab. Recognizing that early introduction of key professional and humanistic concepts could have a lasting impact on students’ attitudes and beliefs, our aim was to frame medicine as a moral practice promoting health, treating illness and alleviating suffering of patients and populations. We hypothesized that creating space for this curriculum at the initiation of medical school would introduce students to the concept of Learning Communities while building a foundation of professional and ethical dialogue and exploration to be continued throughout their medical education.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the session, participants should be able to:

• Describe the creation of an orientation course for all first-year medical students designed to introduce the tenets of medical professionalism and establish the role of Learning Communities
• Describe the impact of the course on students’ self-reported knowledge, attitude and beliefs
• Share key lessons learned during course development and execution including the importance of administrative support, selection of Learning Community faculty and inclusion of multi-modal learning

12:30-2:00 PM 

Break / Travel / Pick up lunch

Lunches located outside of B102/B104 (lower level)

The following spaces have been reserved for you to network and eat lunch:

• Health Education Building Courtyard (weather permitting)

• B102/104 Learning Studios (lower level)

• G109/G201 (Ground floor)

2:00-3:30 PM 

Attendees will choose ONE of the following
(either oral presentations or a workshop)

Oral Presentations

Room G109 (Ground Floor)

1-6-1: Restructuring timing, content, and evaluations of medical education curriculum for a competency-based approach

Primary Presenter: Jennifer Fink, University of Kansas School of Medicine

A Quest to Match Enrichment Experiences with Student Demands

Primary Presenter: Shelley Bhattacharya, University of Kansas School of Medicine

Supporting Student Success and Wellbeing in Clinical Training

Primary Presenter: Emily Frosch, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Natural language processing of narrative assessments

Primary Presenter: Mark Whipple, University of Washington

Effects of a vocational program on professional orientation: a follow-up study

Primary Presenter: Manuel Emiliano Quiroga Garza, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud

Effects of a vocational program on professional orientation: a follow-up study

Primary Presenter: Manuel Emiliano Quiroga Garza, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud

Exploratory Study of Professional Identity Formation in LCs

Primary Presenter: Jennifer Quaintance, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine

Workshop 1
Room 2110 (2nd Floor)

Staff Development: Strategies for Interpersonal Conflict Management

Presenters: Katherine Anderson, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Luke Finck, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Amy Fleming, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Jason P. Noah, University of Alabama School of Medicine – UAB

Background: Administrative staff are frequently on the front lines of conflict, representing their office during interactions with students, faculty and other staff. Institutions often focus on the ability of students and faculty to successfully manage conflict; however, staff tend to be left out of these training opportunities. This workshop is designed to provide staff the opportunity to look at challenging situations they may have encountered (i.e. a testy email from a student or preparing for a conversation they know will be difficult) and provide them tools to successfully handle the “in the moment” follow up response. Staff often experience pushback during these exchanges yet they receive little training on how to effectively manage the situations. This workshop provides training and resources for staff which will enable them to know when, where and how to respond and report if needed. The workshop is designed for participant engagement. After participating in the workshop, LCI members will have the experience and resources to set up training at their own institution.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the session, participants should be able to:

• Provide an overview of various methods used to deescalate difficult situations
• Practice conflict management techniques using a case-based format and role play scenarios
• Describe a toolkit of strategies, which they can implement during staff training at their own Institutions

Workshop 2

Room 3110 (3rd Floor)

Creating a Peer Mentoring Program within an established Learning Community

Presenter: Danielle Kerrigan, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Background: Peer mentoring has benefits in junior faculty and medical students (1-4). While junior faculty programs often focus on academic skills, professional and career development and scholarship, medical student peer mentoring programs look more closely at professional development, personal growth of medical students and better preparation and support for medical school mentees. Peer mentoring is an important adjunct to faculty-student mentoring in Learning Communities, and, depending on program structure, allows for vertical integration of the student body, and promotion of teaching, mentoring, and coaching skills.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the session, participants should be able to:

• Discuss students’ needs that will be met by developing teaching, mentoring, and coaching skills in a set of peer mentors.
• Describe the creation of a Peer-Mentoring Program at UMass.
• Develop a draft/model of a peer-mentoring program for participants for their home institution.
• Discuss next steps for implementing their peer-mentoring program at home.

Workshop 3

Room 3110 (3rd Floor)

Best Practices in Faculty Development: Helping Advisors Be Their Best

Presenter: Sara Tinkham, University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Background: While learning communities are becoming more common, there is not much in the literature about the appropriate faculty development for advisors. In the ever-changing, competitive field of medicine, we are faced with the challenge of how best to enable advisors to support students through every year of medical school. To overcome this challenge, we took a multi-pronged approach. 1. We paired two advisors together to create a college cohort. 2. We established weekly advisors’ meetings to create space and time to provide up-to-date information to the advisors and to allow support across advisory colleges. 3. We created a living document to house all the up-to-date information we were presenting to them in an easy-to-access location for future reference. We regularly perform a needs assessment to discover areas to improve upon and strengthen. This approach of continued improvement allows us to support advisors who serve as a strong resource for students and who meet their needs at each step of their medical school journey. Additionally, our faculty development sessions strive to allow for informal conversation and advice-seeking, to strengthen bonds between and among advisors throughout the college and to foster collegiality. We want advisors to feel proud they are serving an important mission at our institution and to have some fun while doing it. We also try to add some elements of interest into the sessions to keep advisors engaged.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the session, participants should be able to:

• List key steps in creating a curriculum and know how to implement these including needs assessment and improvement strategies
• List key topics that all learning community leaders should be well-versed in
• Brainstorm innovative ways to enhance your faculty development

Workshop 4

Room 3112 (2nd Floor)

Improving Medical Student Buy-In to LC Events

Presenter: Christopher Kaperak, University of Virginia School of Medicine; Priyanka Patel, University of Alabama School of Medicine - UAB

Background: Participation in medical school learning community activities can foster fellowship among students and provide rewarding experiences that complement their education. Events such as intercollegiate olympics offer chances for students to engage in friendly competition, while school social events can be a great way to de-stress and build comradery. However, medical student participation in LC programs and events tends to be low, and students miss out on chances to strengthen relationships with their peers. Therefore, LCs must identify barriers to student participation and identify new, practical ways to make LC activities more inviting and engaging for students.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the session, participants should be able to:

• Identify specific barriers faced by medical students to participate in LC events, and describe how the participant’s home LC structure can address these barriers
• Identify various methods of improving medical student participation in LC events and describe how the participant’s home LC structure can optimize one or more of these methods
• Discuss working with faculty/administration to build academic schedules with LC activities in mind.
• Generate an event plan to implement at their home institution.

3:30-4:00 PM 

Break / Travel

4:00-5:30 PM 

Poster Session & Reception

Poster Session

Saturday, October 12, 4-5:30 PM
Health Education Building, 2146 W 39th Ave
Ad Astra Room (5th floor)

TOPIC: Wellness

7:15-8:00 AM 

Registration and Breakfast

Medical Alumni Societies Atrium (Lower Level) 

Bag Drop: Attendees may store their luggage in B102/104. Please note this room will be unattended and attendees should not store any valuables. KU School of Medicine is not responsible for loss or theft of personal property.

8:00-8:10 AM

WELCOME

Room B102/104 (Lower Level)

8:15-9:15 AM

LCI Updates And Award Ceremony

Room B102/104 (Lower Level)
Molly Jackson, 2019 Learning Communities Institute Chair

• Conference reflections

• LCI year in review

• Young Investigators Award and Innovations Award announcements

• Updates on budget, Research Network, Student Council, Membership

• Arky Award Presentation

• Poster Award Presentation

• Slate of candidates for LCI office

• Announcement about next year’s meeting

9:30-10:30 AM

Featured Oral Presentations

B102/104 (Lower Level)

Featured Oral Presentation 1: Impact of case-based learning on implicit bias

Primary Presenter: Joseph LeMaster, University of Kansas School of Medicine

Featured Oral Presentation 2: Faculty reflections about their experience in a learning society: A qualitative analysist

Primary Presenter: Brian Mavis, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Featured Oral Presentation 3: Learning Communities Institute Admin Wellness Survey: An exploratory analysis

Primary Presenter: Jason Noah, University of Alabama School of Medicine – UAB

10:30-10:45 AM

Break

10:45-12:15 PM

Attendees will choose ONE of the following
(either oral presentations or a workshop)

Oral Presentations

Room 2110 (2nd Floor)

The Neighborhood Table: A Student-Led Bias Intervention

Primary Presenter: J. Connor Thellman, University of Kansas School of Medicine

Sending off students to their clinical clerkship with a faculty and peer-led workshop

Primary Presenter: Cesar Alberto Lucio-Ramirez, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud

Faculty Gender and Student Reports of Mistreatment

Primary Presenter: Amanda Kost, University of Washington

Peer Assessment Embedded in Learning Communities

Primary Presenter: Connor Fender, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine

Examining Professional Identity Formation in Student Leadership Development Narratives

Primary Presenter: Jessica Lewis, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Workshop 1

Room 3112 (3rd Floor)

The Intersection of Learning Communities and Career Advising

Presenters: Gemma Costa, Association of American Colleges (AAMC); Danika N. Franks, TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine; Stacey Vanvliet, TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine; Amy Fleming, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Meg Keeley, University of Virginia School of Medicine; Kelly K. Stazyk, Association of American Colleges (AAMC)

Background: Learning Communities provide a foundation for many aspects of the medical student learning experience including curriculum, career exploration, service learning, professional identity formation, wellbeing, and academic and personal advising. The structure of learning communities helps to integrate each of these educational components into a comprehensive experience for our students. Additionally, these aspects, beyond the traditional curriculum, play a significant role in students’ interest in career specialties and ability to be competitive for and eventually secure residency training in their preferred specialty.

The many faculty and staff involved in learning communities often — knowingly or unknowingly — provide medical students career-related information and advice. It is difficult yet crucial for medical school faculty and staff to clearly understand the role, theory, principles, and best practices of career advising in medical student career planning. Without training, these individuals are often unaware of the current landscape of medical student specialty choice and residency application. This results in a challenging experience for medical students, who must wade through confusing and conflicting career related information and advice, inspiring anxiety and concern about what to believe. As a result, students often discard both the good and bad information and advice, seek their own resources (however imperfect), and trust their own instincts.

Tremendous benefits can be gained when utilizing the learning community structure to support effective and accurate career advising (e.g., increased match rates, student satisfaction with their medical school experience and career choices). Learning Communities are ripe for collaborating with colleagues in student affairs and GME to meaningfully enhance the career support students receive. To date, the intersection of LCs and career advising has gone largely unexplored.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, participants should be able to:

• List key steps in creating a curriculum and know how to implement these including needs assessment and improvement strategies
• List key topics that all learning community leaders should be well-versed in
• Brainstorm innovative ways to enhance your faculty development

Workshop 2

Room 3110 (3rd Floor)

Near-Peer Teaching Partnerships in Learning Communities

Presenters: Emily Haury, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine; Jennifer Quaintance, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine; Brenda Rogers, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine

Background: Medical students commonly turn to peers for teaching. Social and cognitive congruence theories support near-peer teaching because near-peer teachers have social standing similar to their learners and have a good understanding of their learners’ knowledge base. Studies show that student teachers can teach certain skills as effectively as faculty and that near-peer teaching not only benefits student-learners but also student-teachers.

Although relatively few medical schools have formal programs to teach students how to be teachers, such a program can help prepare students for future teaching responsibilities and leadership roles as residents, faculty, and physicians educating patients.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, participants should be able to:

• List the benefits of junior-senior partnerships within LCs.
• Identify settings to utilize near-peer teaching partners.
• Choose learning objectives to address within partnerships.
• Recognize difficulties that can arise in near-peer teaching partnerships; cite strategies to address issues.
• Select techniques to evaluate near-peer partnerships.

Workshop 3

Annenberg 13-14

Nurturing a Culture of Growth for LC Faculty and Staff

Presenters: Molly Jackson, University of Washington School of Medicine; Sara Tariq, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Lars Osterberg, Stanford University School of Medicine

Background: Learning communities (LC) faculty and staff are often critical role models, mentors, and educators in clinical skills development and medical professionalism for students. It is imperative that faculty and staff create a culture of continual growth of their own skill sets, in order to improve educational experiences for students, strengthen their own confidence, and role model lifelong learning for students. This case-based session will focus on how to intentionally create an environment of team and individual growth among faculty and staff, in the context of a safe community. Cases and pearls will include: cases of early, mid and late career educators (and the unique issues that arise with leaning into growth at each chapter); structural methods to encourage individual and community growth (e.g. peer feedback, buddy systems, 360 feedback mechanisms, faculty/staff individualized development plans, failure labs); approaches to help educators share feedback with each other (e.g. cultivating a habit of openness to feedback, tips for sharing concerns and feedback with each other, including speaking up to each other if there is a concern about a comment or behavior).

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, participants should be able to:

• Describe specific ways that LC programs and educators can individualize support for ongoing skill development for faculty/staff in different career chapters (early, mid and late career)
• List programmatic approaches that can support a 'group culture' of growth, in an environment of safety.
• List considerations and phrases that can be used when sharing feedback and support with a colleague, aimed at growth of both individuals.

12:15-12:30 pM

Pick up Lunch

Medical Alumni Societies Atrium (Lower Level)

12:30 PM

Conference Wrap Up

Medical Alumni Societies Atrium (Lower Level)