From Learner to Teacher

 Aviva Y. Cohn, M.D. 

Fellow in Endocrinology 

Brigham and Women's Hospital 

PGY 6

11/08/2020

Aviva Y. Cohn, M.D. 

Despite decades of formal education, rarely do we delve into how we learn best, and the most effective ways to teach others. The medical field has learning and teaching imbued in its core; upon starting medical school one is exclusively a learner soaking up every bit of information. Then as we advance through training the roles quickly shift, and though we remain learners, we become teachers to more novice trainees.   

To advance in such a system, I think it is pivotal for each of us to engage in comprehending the processes that we undergo to learn, and how our brains process information. With an understanding of the learning process, instead of feeling frustrated we can’t remember things once memorized, we should feel compassionate to ourselves and others. Taking this further, it is essential to integrate these ideas into a platform for teaching others. Upon crossing from learner to teacher, we are rather suddenly pushed into a new educator role. 

Without resources to gauge ourselves as educators it is hard to assess our efficacy as teachers: Am I engaging enough? Am I conveying the message clearly? Is this too much information? To improve in these areas, we need a space for modelling and feedback. A course that can nourish insight into the learning process and from there provide tools for teaching and feedback is essential as we transition from learner to teacher in our service as medical professionals.