Keynote SpeakersPluto Play ProductionsConference Sessions with ASME Journal EditorsDiversity in Healthcare Panel
Neera R. Jain, PhD, MS, CRC
Neera R. Jain, PhD, MS, CRCPostdoctoral Research Fellow
Centre for Health Education Scholarship
University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Canada(2022)
Senior Lecturer
Centre for Medical and Health Sciences Education
Waipapa Taumata Rau/The University of Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand(2023)
Dr. Jain is a researcher, educator, and committed changemaker focused on critical disability studies, anti-ableism, and qualitative methodologies in medical education, with a wider interest in advancing justice in the field. She co-editedEqual Access for Students with Disabilities: The Guide for Health Science and Professional Education(Springer Publishing, 2020) and co-authored the AAMC special report,Accessibility, Inclusion, and Action in Medical Education: Lived Experiences of Learners and Physicians with Disabilities(2018).Weaving together perspectives of students with disabilities and school officials, Dr. Jain’s award-winning doctoral thesis,Negotiating the capability imperative: Enacting disability inclusion in medical education(2020), explores the limits of an accommodation-focused approach to disability inclusion and imagines a transformational alternative that is inclusive by design.
Dr. Jain began her career in vocational rehabilitation at HealthSouth New England Rehabilitation Hospital and at NYU Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine. She then transitioned to higher education disability inclusion, leading disability services for students in health science education programs at Columbia University in the City of New York and the University of California, San Francisco. In Aotearoa, she managed Auckland Disability Law, a free legal service for disabled people and their whānau.
‘(Un)learning ableism to advance justice in medical education and practice’
Neera R. Jain, PhD
Ableism is increasingly appended to lists of “isms” we must resist in our work, but critical engagement with the concept in our field is nascent. Nonetheless, disability inclusion in medical education is gaining international attention. Disability rights provisions join imperatives to diversity, equity, and inclusion to prompt this advancement. Disabled learners and physicians demonstrate the exciting potential of these efforts. Yet, while the number of learners with disabilities increases and a movement to improve inclusive practices progresses, significant barriers persist in admission, continuation, graduation, and employment. Disabled learners and physicians continue to report startling experiences of mistreatment and express a need to cover their disabilities to advance in medicine. Current efforts have been insufficient to shift conditions. Further engagement with ableism may illuminate why.
Drawing from her research and practice in medical education, disability studies scholarship, and international health professions education literature, Dr. Jain will unveil ableism to illustrate how it operates in medical education spaces. She will argue that we must reckon with ableism and its deeply-entrenched roots in medical education and practice to advance justice in the field.
Dr Duncan Shrewsbury
Co-Chair of the Society for Academic Primary Care, and Reader in Clinical Education & Primary Care
Medical Education Research Lead
Deputy Lead for Curriculum Development
Academic GP Training Lead
Brighton & Sussex Medical School
Dr Duncan Shrewsbury (they/them), is a queerGP in Brighton, UK, and Reader (associate professor) in Clinical Education and Primary Care at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Duncan is the lead for medical education research and academic GP training, and the deputy lead for curriculum development within the medical school. Alongside Prof. Rupert Payne, Duncan is co-chair of the Society for Academic Primary Care.
‘Queer as folk: inclusive pedagogies and practices in healthcare’
Health inequalities disproportionately affect marginalised communities across the world, and persist despite efforts to address factors contributing to inequity. Communities are often marginalised as a consequence of a particular characteristic, such as: sexuality, gender identity, experience of disability, or ethnicity. LGBTQ+ communities have poorer health outcomes compared to the general population. This is partly due to minority stress and differential healthcare access. Difficulties experienced by LGBTQ+ patients also echo difficulties experienced by LGBTQ+ healthcare professionals.
Regulators of education in healthcare professions rightly promote the development of practitioners who espouse values of inclusivity in the work that they do. Translating these recommendations into pedagogical and clinical practice is a process that remains a challenge for those working in this space. This talk will explore lessons learned from working to address the inequalities faced by LGBTQ+ people in medical education and practice. Drawing on a range of critical perspectives and models, this talk will explore ways of conceptualising, understanding and unpicking factors that frustrate or facilitate inclusive practices in clinical education and care.
Dr Adam Danquah
Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology and Associate Dean for Inclusive Education and Engagement, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester
Adam is Academic Director on the Clinical Psychology Professional Doctorate and the Faculty’s first Associate Dean for Inclusive Education and Engagement. Adam’s work focuses on helping university staff and healthcare practitioners to deal with the emotional and relational challenges of the work, to improve student outcomes and professional practice. This approach is exemplified in his Higher Education Anti-Racism Training (HEART), which asks higher education professionals to commit to a transformative programme of group-work and action. In line with his creative approach to pedagogy, Adam was shortlisted for the Times Higher Education Awards ‘Most Innovative Teacher of the Year 2022’. Adam’s leadership in teaching and learning, outstanding contribution to student outcomes and the teaching profession in HE has been recognised with a National Teaching Fellowship and Principal Fellowship of AdvanceHE.
Professor Sally Curtis
Deputy Head of School Education and Admissions Tutor
University of Southampton
Sally is Deputy Head of School Education and Admissions Tutor at the University of Southampton where she and works with students and staff in the Faculty of Medicine to deliver excellent student experience, with a focus on equity, belonging and social accountability. Sally has held a variety of teaching and coordinating roles across all undergraduate programmes, with her main contribution in the Widening Participation (WP) to medicine BM6 programme. Since its inception in 2002, Sally has both taught and developed the curriculum and was the BM6 programme lead from 2012-2020. Sally received the National Teaching Fellow award in 2019 in recognition or her work in widening participation and student support. She also leads a Medical Education research group that includes external collaborations, PhD students, MMedSc students and BMedSc students, and focuses on WP and the student experience. As a member of the Medical Schools Council Selection Alliance (MSCSA) and elected member of the MSCSA executive board since 2014, Sally has been involved in successful change management initiatives, developing national policy relating to selection and widening participation. Sally co-wrote the current indicators of best practice in the use of contextual admissions and leads the national data monitoring group for MSCSA board.
Professor Vishna Devi V Nadarajah
Prof Vishna Devi V Nadarajah is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Institutional Development and International and Professor of Human Biology at the International Medical University. Prior to this appointment, she held the positions of Pro Vice-Chancellor, Institutional Development and International (2020-2022), Pro Vice-Chancellor, Education (2018-2019) and Dean of Learning and Teaching (2014-2017). She graduated with a First-Class Honours degree in Biochemistry from the University of Malaya (1994) and obtained her PhD at the University of Cambridge in the field of microbial biochemistry (2000). She also received her Masters in Health Professions Education from Maastricht University (2014). Her leadership portfolio at IMU includes the strategic development of academic programmes, growth and diversification of international partnerships, enhancement educational activities via technology enhancing learning, talent and continuous professional development.
Prof Vishna is actively involved and globally recognized for her advocacy for medical and health professions education. She is passionate about faculty and professional staff development, and prioritizes inclusion especially for the advancement of scholarship. She has published and presented research papers in both biomedical sciences and medical education; and supervises research students and reviews for indexed and international journals. She is currently a Board member of the AMEE (An International Association for Health Professions Education) ASPIRE Awards of Excellence, the Deputy Editor of the pre-eminent journal Medical Education , Core leadership and founding member of Mentors Across Borders and Advisory Board Member of several other international HPE journals and organisations. She was awarded the Malaysian Women’s Weekly (2012), Great Women of Our Time award for her contribution in Science and Technology in Malaysia and in 2018, was awarded the National Outstanding Educator Award (university category), awarded by Private Education Cooperation Malaysia. She was recently nominated and appointed as Visiting Professor at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.
Her areas of research in health professions education is in Faculty Development, Assessment and Innovative Teaching-Learning methods. Prof Vishna has shared her experience and expertise in health professions’ education via invitations to speak at conferences, conducting faculty development workshops, guest faculty and collaborative research, appreciating that she has also learnt much from these collaborative sessions with other educators.
‘Diversity and Inclusion in Health Professions Education: A Lens into the Global South’
For health professions educators and leaders of institutions, diversity and inclusion (DI) initiatives are increasingly recognized as important for graduate work readiness, institutional growth and sustainability. While acknowledging that there will be valuable lessons to be learnt from the differences and similarities in DI implementation from institutions around the globe, the opportunity to learn from others experiences maybe limited for the Global North. One possible reason is the scholarship and discourses around these topics are tilted to the Global North. This presentation will provide a view of diversity and inclusion initiatives in Health Professions Education from a region in the Global South and address areas of similarities and differences for consideration. Strengths, challenges, and opportunities for improvement will be presented in consideration of socio-political changes, digital transformation and the changing landscape in healthcare.
We are delighted to have PlutoPlay Productions participating in our ASM 2023.
Pluto Play Productions was founded by Brian Daniels and the late Andrew Connolly in 1997, and Brian is the current CEO. It is a registered charity and was createdto take over the running and management of the famous New End Theatre in Hampstead, North London.
Pluto Play Productions is governed by a Board of Trustees with the CEO reporting to the Board members through the year about work and financial matters. Its stated aim is:
“the advancement of public education in all aspects of the dramatic arts by the presentation and production of plays and other expressions of drama, including the commissioning of new works and the mounting of public performances of them”.
Since 2011, more than 20 commissioned plays have been added to the Pluto Play Productions portfolio, all written by Brian Daniels, that address contemporary issues around health and social care, life limiting illness and bereavement, dementia, and family relationships. An ensemble of professional directors and actors bring the stories to life, and most are staged radio-style where the actors sit facing the audience and read script in-hand.
Each performance is followed by a discussion involving the audience, usually with an expert panel, that has become an integral part of the whole experience. The atmosphere created by a performance provides a unique forum for promoting critical thinking and the exchange of ideas, for shining a light on difficult issues and encouragement to initiate change, both individually and collectively.
Pluto Play Productions will be presenting two productions at our Annual Scholarship Meeting.
“Voices Amplified” will be a plenary session to which all conference attendees are welcome to attend. This will be held on the afternoon of Thursday 13th July 2023.
“Voices Amplified”by Brian Daniels is directed by Marie Fortune and performed script-in-hand by 7 actors.The play examines and raises awareness of micro-aggression and covert discrimination within a healthcare setting. We may not be aware that we are being discriminatory in any way, it may never have occurred to us, but may sometimes be careless with our language and expressions.Communication is key to successful healthcare treatment. Those engaged in healthcare come from a range of ethnic backgrounds – as do our patients.The play draws you into the world of a fictitious hospital department, giving insights into aspects of positive – and not so positive – behaviour. The running time of the play is approximately 40 minutes.
Pluto Play Productions are also sharing with us their “Hello my name is …” production which will be offered as an intraconference session.
‘Hello my name is…’, a play inspired by the life and work of the late Dr Kate Granger, explores the dynamic realities of human interaction in health and social care. Dr Granger’s insistence that individuals whose business it is to deliver health care should always introduce themselves to their patients by saying, “hello, my name is…” It was a powerful call for dignity and identity in healthcare, born of her own experiences as a cancer sufferer and patient.
Amidst the shock and heartbreak of her own experience, Kate’s outlook was transformed when a hospital porter introduced himself with simple sensitivity: “Hello, my name is Brian…” Kate felt her self-worth rising and a campaign that would find global acceptance was born.
Commissioned by St Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds, where Kate died on their 11th Wedding Anniversary, ‘Hello My Name Is…” takes a close look at the lives of Kate and her husband Chris. Through the use of humour and pathos, they made a compelling case for a simple but transformative approach to the delivery of essential health care services.
The Editors of the ASME Journals – Medical Education and The Clinical Teacher – will be with us for our ASM in Birmingham. Details of their sessions will be shared here soon.
Dr. Kevin Eva
Associate Director and Senior Scientist in the Centre for Health Education Scholarship, and Professor and Director of Educational Research and Scholarship in the Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia (Canada).
Editor-in-Chief of the Journal Medical Education
Dr. Kevin Evais Associate Director and Senior Scientist in the Cent
re for Health Education Scholarship, and Professor and Director of Educational Research and Scholarship in the Department of Medicine, at the University of British Columbia. He completed his PhD in Cognitive Psychology (McMaster University) in 2001 and became Editor-in-Chief for the journalMedical Educationin 2008.
Dr. Eva maintains a number of international appointments including Honorary Skou Professor at Aarhus University (Denmark), Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne (Australia), and visiting professor at the University of Bern (Switzerland). He has consulted broadly around the globe including advisory roles for the National Board of Medical Examiners (US) and National Health Services Education (Scotland). He co-founded the Maastricht-Canada Masters of Health Professional Education program and works extensively with the Medical Council of Canada and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia.
Dr. Eva’s current research interests are broadly defined within the context of research into educational practices within the health professions. They include research into (1) The value and limits of subjectivity as a means of assessing performance, (2) The promotion and assessment of non-academic characteristics in professional practice, (3) The context specific nature of performance, (4) The conceptualization, nature, and use of self-assessment, (5) The psychological processes that impact upon one’s responsiveness to feedback, and (6) The nature of clinical expertise.
Awards for this work includethe Karolinska Institutet Prize for Research in Medical Education, an Honorary Fellowship from the Academy of Medical Educators (UK), MILES Award for Mentoring, Innovation, and Leadership in Education Scholarship (Singapore), the President’s Award for Exemplary National Leadership from the Association of Faculties of Medicine in Canada, the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Medical Council of Canada, the Ian Hart Award for Distinguished Contribution to Medical Education (Canada), and the John P. Hubbard award from the National Board of Medical Examiners (USA).
Dr Aileen Barrett
Originally a physiotherapist,Dr Aileen Barrettcompleted her PhD in medical education at University College Cork and has a special interest in feedback, workplace-based assessment, faculty development and clinical teaching in health professions. As an education specialist at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, she was responsible for the development and review of postgraduate training programme curricula and the design of continuing education programmes and workshops. In 2019 Aileen led the development ofEntrustable Professional Activities(EPAs) for GP training in Ireland and the design of workplace-based assessment tools to support GP trainee learning.As a member of EXQUISITE, theEuropean Center of Excellence in Qualitative Inquiry and Study in Training and Education (for health), Aileen has published a number of papers on qualitative research methods and is a research supervisor on the Masters of Health Sciences (Clinical Education) at NUI Galway. She was appointed as Editor-in-Chief ofThe Clinical Teacherin December 2020.
Kevin and Aileen will be running the following session along with Vishna Nadarajah
ASME Journals The Clinical Teacher and Medical Education
Expanding Borders and Challenging Minds: Successful Peer Reviewing
Leads: Dr Aileen Barrett, Dr Vishna Nadarajah and Dr Kevin Eva
Becoming a peer reviewer is simultaneously an act of altruism and of self-interest. Altruistically, it provides an opportunity to contribute to the advancement of knowledge and rigour in health professional education while shaping the direction of the field and supporting colleagues in the development of their scholarly efforts. At the same time, peer reviewing allows reviewers to stay up-to-date with the latest research, expanding their own knowledge, while also enhancing their writing, critical thinking and consultation skills. Peer review is also critical in ensuring that a piece of work is viewed through diverse lenses.
This workshop will be aimed at equipping participants with the skills and knowledge necessary to become effective peer reviewers. Through interactive activities and discussions, participants will learn about the peer review process, different forms of peer review, and best practices. They will also gain practical experience in critiquing and providing constructive feedback by evaluating conference abstracts.
Workshop participants will be asked to consider the following questions and issues:
(1) How does one get started as a peer reviewer?
(2) What supports are available?
(3) What ethical considerations should I keep in mind?
(4) How can peer review help equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts?
(5) Can I become a peer reviewer if I haven’t published? The role of mentored peer reviews
By the end of the workshop, participants will have a better understanding of how to critically evaluate academic writing and be able to contribute to the advancement of health professional education through thoughtful and insightful peer review.
ASME Journals The Clinical Teacher and Medical Education
Writing for publication
Leads: Dr Aileen Barrett and Dr Kevin Eva
Writing for publication in health professions education is an important skill, essential in developing an evidence base of practice, for broad dissemination of findings and raising the quality of healthcare education. Submission to peer-review is a defining component of scholarly practice and proof of writing success is often a requirement for promotion when applying for funding and providing evidence of professional impact. However, for both novice and experts alike, writing for publication can be a challenging experience as competition for publication is fierce and the standards in the field continue to rise.
In this workshop journal editors share their knowledge of the field of publishing and tricks of the trade for maximizing the likelihood of publication success. They will aim to provide a glimpse of what goes on ‘behind the scenes’ of the publication process in an effort to unravel some of the mysteries of peer review and increase understanding of what it takes to publish in health professional education journals specifically, relative to the broader scientific literature.
Workshop participants will be asked to consider the following questions and issues:
(1) What problems are commonly encountered?
(2) What makes a good paper? Why do papers get accepted or rejected?
(3) What happens to a paper during the review process?
(4) Ethical aspects of publication.
Through this they will gain knowledge regarding what health professional education research journal Editors are looking for, how to maximize the chance of publication success, and strategies for writing clearly.
Content to follow