Precision Education in Focus at Medical Education Day

Feinberg faculty, trainees, students and staff gathered to explore the future of teaching and learning in medicine during the 15th Annual Medical Education Day on September 24.

Held in the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center, the event featured a diverse lineup of workshops, poster presentations and panel discussions focused on innovation, career development and data-driven teaching strategies. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with leading-edge research and to share best practices for enhancing medical education across disciplines.

“Medical Education Day is a day for us to gather as a community to celebrate excellence in academics and medical education,” said Mary McBride, MD, MEd, professor of Pediatrics and of Medical Education and director of the Feinberg Academy of Medical Educators (FAME). “I appreciate everyone who participated in the day and hope you continue to stay involved and learn about Feinberg educators and their research.”

This year, precision education came into focus, as presenters emphasized tailoring educational experiences to meet the multidimensional needs of learners — mirroring the personalized approach of precision medicine.

The keynote address was delivered by Sanjay V. Desai, MD, a nationally recognized leader in medical education. As chief academic officer and group vice president of medical education at the American Medical Association, he spearheads initiatives aimed at modernizing health professions education to meet the demands of an evolving healthcare landscape.

His work has helped shape national policy and practice around residency training, well-being, and competency-based learning.

In his keynote, Desai addressed how data-driven, personalized approaches to learning and assessment can enhance the effectiveness and equity of medical education.

“Our structures are more rigid than they should be, and our approaches are more one-size-fits-all than they should be,” Desai said.

By identifying barriers to medical education, educators can design curricula and formats to meet learners where they are in their journey and optimize learning, Desai said. For example, medical educators can utilize AI algorithms to analyze trainees’ clinical note-taking and identify which trainees may benefit from additional guidance.

“Precision education systems in medicine use data and technology to transform lifelong learning by improving personalization, efficiency and agency at the individual, program and organizational levels,” Desai said. “Ultimately, if we do this well, we can make learning systems more effective and improve patient outcomes.”

Following the keynote, a competition in the style of “Shark Tank” allowed faculty to present their ideas to a panel of expert judges. Five teams presented their pitches for precision education programs at Feinberg, and one was awarded $10,000 in funding during an awards ceremony later in the day.

The winning project was led by Jeffrey Wong PA-C, a Northwestern Medicine physician assistant; Sean Sachdev, MD, ’16 GME, associate professor of Radiation Oncology; and Mohamed Abazeed, MD, PhD, the chair and William N. Brand, MD, Professor of Radiation Oncology. Their pitch, “Transformational Medical Education Framework: Contour Delineation in Radiation Oncology,” aimed to boost trainee skill mastery by incorporating AI and automated feedback.

Throughout the day, breakout sessions covered topics such as adaptive learning technologies, competency-based assessment and AI in education.

Brian Garibaldi, MD, MEd, the Charles Horace Mayo Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care and inaugural director of the Center for Bedside Medicine, spoke on the importance of the bedside encounter for medical students and trainees.

“The most common mistake we make from the physical exam is simply that we did not perform the physical exam,” Garibaldi said, emphasizing the importance of reinvigorating the bedside encounter using the latest technology available to clinicians. “We know about the diagnostic power of being at the bedside, but there’s also that connection we make with patients during the exam.”

Without regular patient encounters, trainees and clinicians are more vulnerable to burnout, Garibaldi said, and miss opportunities to gather essential details that will guide patient care.

Poster presentations also showcased projects from faculty, trainees and students, highlighting innovations in curriculum design, simulation and interprofessional education.

The day concluded with an awards ceremony, during which several faculty members were recognized with the John X. Thomas, Jr. Best Teachers of Feinberg Award. The ceremony also celebrated recently promoted faculty, new members of FAME, as well as faculty, residents and fellows nominated by students for demonstrating exemplary professionalism.