Associate Dean for the Gundersen Health System/Western Academic Campus, Benjamin T. Jarman, MD (far left), Dean Nita Ahuja, MD, MBA (fourth from left), and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Elizabeth Petty, MD (sixth from left), with MD students on a visit to the school’s regional campus in La Crosse, WI.
As our Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) site visit came to a close last week, during which a group representing the LCME assessed our compliance with medical education accreditation standards, I’ve been thinking a lot about our school’s education mission. It is a commitment we all share to train the next generation of health care and scientific leaders.
Education is also bidirectional. Faculty and instructors learn just as much from their students as their students learn from them. I know I deeply appreciate insights I have gained from students and mentees over the years. We all get closer to our best selves as a result.
Teaching here happens in so many ways — in the classroom, in the laboratory, at the bedside, in the hallway, and in communities across the state, from an hour with a talented faculty member discussing a patient case to the time a busy clinician takes to offer formative feedback to a student. This is what makes teaching and learning at a school like ours so powerful.
Meeting with students
I recently held a town hall with a small group of our medical students. We talked about aspects of the program they find excellent and where they see opportunities for improvement.
We also talked about the future of education. I told them what I will share with any health professions student readers: The knowledge and skills you learn to deliver care today will not be the same knowledge and skills you use to deliver care throughout your career. Health care will transform and evolve — hopefully with your help! Yet, the bedrock of your training will never show cracks. Your compassion, empathy, critical thinking and professionalism will be your solid ground as you navigate your future career.
I look forward to more conversations with students in all programs, as well as discussions about how our school’s strategic plan will help us prepare students for the future.
Seeing our students in action
I recently traveled to our regional campuses in La Crosse and Milwaukee, where I met with the dedicated faculty and staff who help educate our students and toured outstanding facilities.
I also met with medical students to see and hear firsthand what they learn about serving rural and urban communities.
Every conversation I’ve had with learners across our programs has had one thing in common: I leave filled with hope and excitement for the future.
Rooted in teaching
The origin of the word “doctor” comes from “docēre,” which means “to teach.” I believe this applies to everyone involved in health care, no matter your health profession or degree. And, if “doctor” is rooted in teaching, then our professional identities are inseparable from learning. Teaching and learning are two sides of the same coin.
To our students: thank you for your curiosity, your drive to innovate, and your ideas for how we can be our best. To our faculty and staff throughout the state: thank you for the daily work of teaching in ways big and small. The future of health depends on people who keep learning, and I see that spirit everywhere I turn.