Reflection on the COE teaching course

McKenna Longacre, MD

Resident in Anesthesiology 

Brigham and Women's Hospital 

PGY 4

02/23/2021

I recently had the opportunity to guide very bright and motivated medical student through his first few intubations. Each attempt he got a little closer to success, though I fumbled to find the right words to describe the differences between my technique and his own.

The COE-CTS teaching course reminded me of the humbling fact that even the best teachers only convey 30% of what the learner needs to know, that learning is an exciting and uncomfortable process, and that so much of what we can do is to encourage the growth mindset that motivates students to continue to approach new challenges with open minds and hearts. I am also now officially on a quest to learn to articulate that elusive 70% of the technical skill that we rarely convey to eager students. Wish me luck!