NEWS AND UPDATES
University of Alabama Heersink School of Medicine
UAB: Membership Spotlight Photos: Program Goals: The mission of the Learning Communities Program is to foster longitudinal relationships in a safe and inclusive environment to promote personal wellness and professional development. Our goal is to create healthy people...
Small group activities within academic communities improve the connectedness of students and faculty
Posted:June 21, 2017 Read about the impact of learning communities to enhance connectedness between students and faculty in a study published by Young Investigator Award winner Dr. Katherina Brandl (UCSD) Small group activities within academic communities improve the...
Medical Student Perceptions of the Learning Environment: Learning Communities Are Associated With a More Positive Learning Environment in a Multi-Institutional Medical School Study
Posted:June 22, 2017 Read about the association of learning communities with a more positive learning environment in a large multi-institutional study led by Sunny Smith (UCSD) Medical Student Perceptions of the Learning Environment: Learning Communities Are...
Using the Faculty Learning Community Model to Design Medical Student Learning Communities
Posted:June 22, 2017 Read about the use of the faculty learning community (FLC) model to design student learning communities (SLCs) at Wayne State University School of Medicine in an article published by Laurie Richlin, PhD (Wayne State University). Using the Faculty...
The impact of learning communities on interpersonal relationships among medical students
Posted:June 22, 2017 Read about the impact of learning communities on interpersonal relationships among medical students in a study published by Young Investigator Award winner Dr. Eve Privman-Champaloux (University of Virginia) The impact of learning communities on...
The Johns Hopkins learning environment scale: measuring medical students? perceptions of the processes supporting professional formation
Posted:June 22, 2017 Read about a new measure to assess students’ perceptions of the medical school learning environment in a study published by Robert Shochet (Johns Hopkins), founding Chair of LCI The Johns Hopkins learning environment scale: measuring medical...
Benefits to faculty involved in medical school learning communities
Posted:June 22, 2017 Read about the benefits to faculty involved in medical school learning communities in a new study published by James Wagner (Univ of Texas – Southwestern) and other LCI leaders! Benefits to faculty involved in medical school learning communities....
Assessing medical students? and residents? perceptions of the learning environment: exploring validity evidence for the interpretation of scores from existing tools
Posted:June 22, 2017 Read about the validity of tools used to assess medical students’ and residents’ perceptions of the learning environment in a study led by Jorie Colbert-Getz (University of Utah)! Assessing medical students’ and residents’ perceptions of the...
From High School to Medical School: the Importance of Community in Education
Posted:June 22, 2017 Read about the importance of learning communities in education from high school to medical school a new report published by Lars Osterberg (Stanford University) and other education leaders! From High School to Medical School: the Importance of...
The Growth of Learning Communities in Undergraduate Medical Education
Read about the growth of learning communities in undergraduate medical education in a new study published by Sunny Smith (UC San Diego) and other LCI leaders! The Growth of Learning Communities in Undergraduate Medical Education. Read more
Amy Fleming, MD: Finding joy in work and learning
This post is from Quantifying Gold: Humanism’s Impact on Leaders in Medicine. This new series will highlight the achievements of medical school leaders in GHHS and identify key characteristics in humanism that have led to leadership, success, and innovation. Amy...
PETER DENSEN, MD HONORED WITH 2017 ARKY AWARD
Posted:Oct 4, 2017, 4:51 PMAs the Carver College of Medicine's first Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Curriculum, he not only led the development and implementation of a radically revised curriculum but also the development and implementation of the CCOM...
A MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL LONGITUDINAL FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN HUMANISM SUPPORTS THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF FACULTY TEACHERS
Posted:Oct 16, 2017, 12:08 PM Originally Published by: Academic Medicine, Vol. XX, No. X / XX XXXX Author(s): William T. Branch Jr, MD, Richard M. Frankel, PhD, Janet P. Ha er, EdD, Amy B. Weil, MD, MaryAnn C. Gilligan, MD, MPH, Debra K. Litzelman, MD, Margaret...
MEDICAL SCHOOL FACTORS THAT PREPARE STUDENTS TO BECOME LEADERS IN MEDICINE
Posted:Oct 18, 2017, 12:25 PM Originally Published by:Academic Medicine, Vol. XX, No. X / XX XXXX Author(s):Louise Arnold, PhD, Paul G. Cuddy, PharmD, Susan B. Hathaway, PhD, Jennifer L. Quaintance, PhD, and Steven L. Kanter, MD This new study led by Louise Arnold,...
ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN LEARNING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND BURNOUT, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND EMPATHY AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS
Read about components with a Learning Community that are valued differently and varying their relationships with student outcomes. In this cross-sectional study, all Johns Hopkins School of Medicine students were surveyed regarding perceived value of learning...
2019 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT ON LEARNING COMMUNITIES IN UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION (UME)
To All Learning Community Leaders, Faculty, Staff, and Students and Other Interested Parties: We are delighted to share the contents of the 2019 Special Supplement on Learning Communities in Undergraduate Medical Education (UME), published by the Journal of...
ROLE OF LEARNING COMMUNITIES DURING COVID-19
SUPPORTING STUDENTS EXPERIENCES OF OUR STUDENTS Uncertainty / loss of control -day to day, and future Emotions - fear, anger, frustration; ”Why didn’t you pull me out?” and “Don’t pull me out”“What is going on?” “How will this impact me?”“I want to help but...
LEVERAGING THE STRENGTH OF LEARNING COMMUNITIES IN TIMES OF CRISIS
Facing tragic events such as suicide or other loss, or sentinel events in the world around us, require special resources and the support of others. Learning communities are uniquely positioned to help medical schools in times of crisis because of the connectedness they foster.
The LCI has put together a list of resources, best practices and suggestions to help schools during times of stress and crisis.
We welcome feedback on these resources, or suggestions to broaden them.
Resources
GSA-COSA Crisis Management Resource: a recently assembled broad set of resources from institutions and organizations that address things like medical emergencies, unexpected student death, political situations and natural disasters. While the focus is mostly on university and student affairs officials, there are several go-to resources that are broadly applicable.
· COSA guidance on student support
Lori Ungemah offers a reflection on how one LC approached an expected death (Lori Ungemah Stella and Charles Guttman Community College).
Vanderbilt: Teaching in Times of Crisis: this article describes some approaches to acknowledging and discussing in a classroom setting crises that may be impacting the learners or learning environment.
Washington State University’s resource on social networks:
Other Considerations
Messaging: staying in communication throughout a crisis is essential; students need to be updated on specifics, resources and next steps. Reach outs from LC faculty or student leaders can also provide support and a feeling of connectedness; it is essential these messages are consistent with institutional messaging to avoid confusion. The institutional leadership may convene town halls to convey information and get immediate feedback from constituents. LCs may be a good venue for more personalized reflection and processing.
Building flexibility into your small groups: if your LC faculty teach in small groups it is important that they have the flexibility to address sentinel events as they come up. Faculty development can focus on how to broach these topics, methods for creating a space for disagreement, and ways to acknowledge emotions and experiences.
Using the knowledge of LC student and faculty leaders to help triage who may be most impacted: when crises occur it is important to know which students may be most impacted by the event or made more vulnerable by its occurrence. LC members are at times well positioned to identify such students, and it is important that reaching out be done sensitively and in a timely manner.
Interaction between LCs and school leadership: LCs can provide valuable feedback to institutional leadership about approaches to crises and events, and can also advocate for certain resources that may not have been addressed by the institution.