Conversations in Med Ed Oxford University

In episode five we chat with Dr Chris Kowalski, a consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, from the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom, where he is the simulation lead and is involved in all stages of medical education. Chris chats about his journey into Medical Education and his particular interest in simulation, triggered by witnessing a lack of experiential learning in psychiatry, for instance communication in complex clinical situations, such as mental health crises, and interprofessional collaboration. When reflecting on the intersections between education and research, be pragmatic and strategic in including research in educational designs and activities, such as being clear on the purposes of each but also evaluating said innovations. Chris shares the importance of career planning, dedicated time and maintaining boundaries (while juggling multiple roles and competing demands), and the necessity of working in teams. He ends with a challenge: how can we shift dispositions, values and ways of being, as opposed to merely developing knowledge and skills, in health professionals? You can connect with Chris on LinkedIn and see his research at Research Gate. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

In episode four we chat with Associate Professor Simone Titus-Dawson from the Centre for Health Professions Education in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Simone shares her organic multi- and inter-disciplinary journey from Sports Sciences to Gender Studies to Digital Education in the Health Sciences. Simone outlines her research from game-based teaching and learning, to considering the digital divide and access, towards virtual and augmented reality use in anatomy and physiology, as well as culturally sensitive stories developed with AI. Foundational practical recommendations around technology-use in education include meeting students where they are at, starting small, and ensuring that technological tools used are aligned to learning outcomes and scaffolded into digestible chunks. When thinking about possibly undertaking postgraduate studies in Health Professions Education, Simone offers advice for different career stages, with recommendations for mentorship and coaching, and “knowing your why”. Simone ends with a call for researchers in the global North to recognise the excellence of work in Health Professions Education from the global South – often done under challenging environments – and for equal partnerships. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

In episode three we chat with Professor Richard Canter from the University of Oxford. He reflects over the decades of his fascinating career, sharing his story of how he, a surgeon, became involved in medical education and research. This includes curriculum, assessment, quality assurance and reforming surgical education in the UK (and many other settings), the importance of collaboration and the open sharing of intellectual property (for global change), and issues of power and hierarchy (and competing interests of stakeholders) in the health professions. His story, and success, is encouraging for the very reasons that much of the journey was not intentional but “a series of accidental events”. The importance of curiosity and continued evolution (and the usefulness of mistakes), questioning assumptions, working across generations and learning together, and being strategic and purposeful in qualification and career decisions (with education being a great place to be!) are some of the takeaways. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

In episode two we chat to Dr Danelle Hess from the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. While a physiotherapist by training, Dr Danelle Hess now identifies as an educator as she finds herself in an academic role. She briefly shares her unplanned journey into Health Professions Education and provides great advice for those new to the field or considering a move into it. These include finding what you enjoy, but also being strategic in aligning it to your everyday work, along with the importance of mentorship, joining networks, building community, and paying it forward. You can connect with Danelle on LinkedIn at Danelle Hess and on Twitter/X @danelle_83.

This is the first episode of “Conversations in Med Ed”. Podcast host, Dr Danica (’Nici’) Sims, plays the role of the guest, as her colleague, Dr Liam Guilfoyle, asks her, “Why start a podcast?” Danica shares her desire for creating a virtual community of practice that can connect and welcome in diverse stakeholders, to enable a sense of belonging. She briefly shares her unexpected journey into the field, triggered by her contextual challenges and care for people, and how she wants to hear stories from others in the field – about the people behind the research. You can connect with Danica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danica-nici-sims-smuts-36bb19105/ and view her research on ORCID: https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0003-4973-0699.