Clinician Educator Program
CEP Co-Directors: Adrienne Gerken, M.D., and David Beckmann, M.D., M.P.H., Heather Vestal, M.D., M.H.S., and Joseph Stoklosa, M.D.,
Program Mission: The Clinician Educator Program’s (CEP) mission is to prepare residents for a career as clinician educators by offering additional training and mentorship toward developing skills in teaching and education during residency. The CEP will focus on developing educator knowledge and skills, as well as academic scholarship in medical education.
Core Components:
- Monthly Core Didactics
- Teaching Opportunities
- CEP Mentor
- Educational Project
- Dinners at Faculty Homes
- Local Conferences, Seminars, and Courses
- National Meetings
Core Didactics
Didactic curriculum will be co-developed and taught by CEP faculty and residents. Didactics occur monthly on Wednesday evenings. Didactic topics may include:- Teaching Skills (i.e. Adult Learning Theory, Clinical Teaching Skills, Didactic Teaching Skills, Feedback, etc.)
- Development of Curricula and Educational Tools
- Career Development Series (i.e. CV, Faculty Tracks, Promotion, Skills for Being a Supervisor and Mentor, etc.)
- Educational Research (i.e. Journal Club, Research Design, Assessing Outcomes, etc.)
Teaching Opportunities
The MGH/McLean community provides a number of venues for CEP residents to hone their teaching skills. Possible teaching venues include:- The PGY-1 – 4 Rotation-Based Didactics;
- Didactics for MS3s and MS4s;
- Clinical Tutor or Preceptor for MS3s’
- Junior Attending on an Inpatient Unit (PGY4s only).
CEP Mentor
Each CEP resident is assigned a mentor to guide their career development as a clinician educator. The CEP mentor will guide residents in developing, implementing, and disseminating their required Educational Project. Specifically the mentors will assist residents in finding teaching opportunities; provide guidance in the planning and/or development of their teaching activity; and assist with the implementation of the resident’s teaching strategy. Additionally, CEP mentors will provide individual feedback by directly observing (live, or by watching video) their mentee’s teaching activities.Educational Project
Each CEP resident, under the guidance of their mentor, will pursue an Educational Project during PGY-3 and PGY-4. An “educational project” is widely defined and could include the development and/or implementation of curricula, teaching/educational tools, educational innovations or technologies, assessment tools/methods, or medical education research projects. Examples of projects include, but are not limited to:- Using simulation to teach residents about the management of acute agitation;
- Developing an “Intern-as-Teacher” casebook to facilitate interns’ teaching of medical students;
- Development and implementation of a novel curriculum on personality disorders;
- Soliciting residents’ perspectives on the new Psychiatry Milestones;
- Increasing the use of video-observation in outpatient supervision.
Dinners at Faculty Homes
Approximately three times per year the CEP meets over dinner, hosted by a CEP faculty member, to discuss program business and resident progress. Each resident will give an informal presentation of their Educational Project(s) (“works in progress”) and seek feedback from colleagues. Additionally, residents and faculty who recently attended national or local meetings/courses will share “meeting highlights.” CEP dinners are open to all residents who are interested in joining the program. Attending the CEP dinners is an excellent way to learn more about resident and faculty interests and ongoing projects.Attendance at Local Conferences, Seminars, and Courses
CEP residents are encouraged to attend local medical education-related seminars or conferences when able. Local seminars and conferences include:- The Academy at Harvard Medical School
- Partners Centers of Expertise in Medical Education
- HMS Psychiatry Residents and Fellows Collaborative on Medical Student Teaching
- HMS Medical Education Day
- Principles of Medical Education (Annual Harvard Medical School Course)
- Harvard Macy Institute Programs
Attendance at National Meetings
All residents in the CEP are encouraged to attend at least one national meeting, per year, during PGY-3 and PGY-4. Annual meetings may include: AAP, AADPRT, AAMC, and ADMSEP. A limited number of travel awards will be available each year to CEP residents to attend the AAP annual meeting. Residents will also be supported in applying for external Medical Education Awards and Fellowships which may provide additional funding.Desired Outcomes of the CEP
- Develop advanced teaching skills
- Provide a service to the junior residents by serving as skilled teachers, both in clinical and didactic settings
- Develop expertise in the field of medical education, including curriculum development, assessment tools, etc.
- Become facile with both appraising and conducting medical education research;
- Receive mentorship and guidance with respect to career development
- Develop a portfolio of academic scholarship
- Develop relationships with other clinician educators across specialties and institutions
- Develop skills and experience to enable them to succeed in careers as clinician educators.
How to Apply
Residents may apply to the CEP at the beginning of their PGY2 or PGY3 year. Residents who desire to join the CEP in PGY4 require special approval from the CEP directors. Applicants should meet with Dr. Gerken, Dr. Vestal, or Dr. Beckmann to discuss their interests in medical education prior to applying.CEP is one of my favorite parts of residency training. I have found the didactics to be some of the best during residency and always enjoy the sessions. The CEP provides invaluable support and mentorship, both in terms of arranging formal mentors as well as with residents from the other classes within the program. Stephanie Davidson, Class of 2018
During my third year of residency, I developed a passion for teaching. I’ve been able to cultivate teaching and mentoring skills through working with the Clinician Educator Program. This year, as the chief of psychotherapy and of the inpatient psychotic disorders unit at McLean, I’ve had a great opportunity to put my own learning into practice, working with medical students as well as first and second year residents. It’s been an exciting year so far! I hope to continue working in medical education after I graduate. Annie Weissman, Class of 2017
