A master class in teaching—and learning

Mariam Fofana
Emergency Medicine, MGH/BWH
PGY-3

I had been looking forward to participating in the COE Clinical Teaching Course ever since my first year and finally got to attend it this year. Although I have always been interested in teaching, I am now at a pivotal point in my residency experience, transitioning into the role of teaching and supervising resident. I sought out the CTS course hoping to gain some concrete teaching skills that I could put to use in that role, but perhaps what I did not expect was that the course would not only help me develop teaching skills but also make me a better learner. 

I had the chance to develop a short teaching presentation –ideal for the unpredictable nature of the emergency department—and get real-time feedback while also getting some ideas for improvement from other participants’ presentations. This gave me a chance to think about how to improve my teaching presentations, and I have since brainstormed several other bite-size teaching presentations for learners in the emergency department. An unexpected take-away from the course was gaining insights into how I can be a better learner and elicit more valuable feedback from my own teachers. I particularly enjoyed the discussion on how to manage teaching and learning in interdisciplinary teams, which gave me an opportunity to think about how I would approach my role as an attending in the future. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to meet experts in education and learn alongside fellow trainees how we can become the teachers—and learners—we wish to see in the world.