Teaching for Teachers

Hina J. Shah, MD

Resident in Nuclear Medicine

Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women's Hospital 

PGY 8

11/13/2020 

Hina J. Shah, M.D. 

This was the first time I participated in the Centre of expertise course. This was a virtual session. It gave an amazing opportunity to meet so many co-trainees/colleagues from different specialty which is rare even though we are such a huge academic setting. I am a physician but that allows me to play multiple roles one of which is that of teacher. It was interesting to see that people face similar challenges as a teacher.

One must be innovative in these challenging times of virtual teaching where ‘teacher’ and ‘students’ are not always seeing each other. It is important to know about the various tools which are available to do this and make the teaching more effective. This course helped me to understand various methods which one can use to make teaching more effective and interactive. I have already employed some of these methods and I think it is helping me make my teaching more engaged.

I want to continue my career as a physician-teacher as I think at the end of the day what we all want is to know that we are making a positive difference to someone. And what way then a teacher to make that difference.

Having such courses help you meet people from different fields with similar challenges and one can come up with innovative solution to the problems. I think it would be great if these courses are incorporated in the curriculum, at least 1 to 2 lectures; this way one would know what interests them and the available opportunities. And the later courses could be optional and that way everyone who enters this institute knows what work COE does and how they use it for one’s maximum teaching.

I incorporated some of the tips from the course like quick audience feedback and it was wonderful to know areas of your strength and where you can improvise.

I am hoping to find a job soon in an academic setting where I can continue being a teacher-physician and utilize all the treasurable tips I got from this course.

This clinical teaching skills course by COE was an enlightening and a happy experience!