Training tomorrow's teachers today: a national medical student teaching and leadership retreat

Abstract

Introduction: Challenges to American academic medical centers have diverted attention and resources away from the core missions of teacher and leader development. To train the next generation of medical education leaders, substantial and institutionalized new programs are necessary.

Methods: The American Medical Student Association, with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, designed the Training Tomorrow's Teachers Today national medical student retreat. The week-long course endeavors to enhance participants’ clinical teaching and academic leadership skills. The program also trains students to execute a required medical education project. At the end of the course, attendees evaluated their baseline and post-course teaching and leadership effectiveness. Long-term follow-up was also completed.

Results: Attendees (n = 23) self-reported statistically significant (p < 0.05) improvement in teaching and leadership. The greatest improvements in teaching scores were in the area of communicating goals. The largest leadership score improvements were: defining goals; defining constituents, allies, and opponents; and delineating organization strengths/weaknesses. 13 participants engaged in medical education projects.

Conclusion: This program helps fill a gap in medical education training. Program data suggest enhancement of students’ teaching and leadership skills. A competitive application process demonstrates interest in such training. These results suggest that medical schools should offer and/or fund undergraduate teaching and leadership training.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kristofer L. Smith

KRISTOFER SMITH a graduate of Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA and Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, MA, is an Internal Medicine resident at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY and past Chair of the American Medical Student Association's Medical Education Action Committee, Reston, VA.

Dustin J. Petersen

DUSTIN PETERSEN is a 4th year medical student at Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA and a former national coordinator on the American Medical Student Association's Medical Education Action Committee, Reston, VA.

Rainier Soriano

DR SORIANO is an Assistant Professor of Geriatrics and Medicine, the Director of Medical Student Education for the Geriatrics Department, Co-Clerkship Director, Integrated Medicine-Geriatrics Clerkship, Director, The Art & Science of Medicine II, Co-Course Director for Becoming a Medical Teacher at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY.

Erica Friedman

DR FRIEDMAN is the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education, Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Education and Director of the Morchand Center for Clinical Competence. She has served as clerkship director in Internal Medicine and on the American Association of Medical Colleges Council of Academic Societies.

Lisa D. Bensinger

DR BENSINGER is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Medical Education, the Director of the Institute for Medical Education, Co-Course Director for Becoming a Medical Teacher, Director of the Resident Teaching Development Program and Director of the Teacher Faculty Development Program at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY.