Member Spotlight

How did you get interested in doing a PhD and what went into the decision to finally jump in?

I have noticed a recurring pattern in that I will work in a given role for a few years, and then I find myself intrigued by some phenomenon to the point that I absolutely must explore it empirically. I find that the daily demands of positions don’t always allow for room to explore, ponder, and read about things that interest us, which is one reason why considering a PhD was compelling to me. I emailed Kevin Eva one evening to pick his brain about the Maastricht PhD Program in the School of Health Professions Education and before I knew it, I was drafting my application to the program. Mentorship from Sandra Jarvis-Selinger, Renate Kahlke, Erik Driessen, and Dan Pratt also gave me the water wings that helped me take the plunge.

What was your first research project about?

My very first research project was in an undergraduate psychology course where we were tasked with applying theories of persuasion. I created two different donation request forms to a charity and randomly distributed them to my classmates. I was flabbergasted by the effectiveness of some of these marketing strategies, and the experience made me realize the power of words and framing. As an example, simply adjusting whether you suggest donation amounts in descending order (e.g. $25, $15, $5), will lead you to receive significantly higher contributions than ordering them in ascending order (e.g. $5, $15, $25) as people are always looking for cues in their environment to help inform decision making.

What have you been exploring in your current scholarship?

Broadly speaking, my current research aims to support and value the clinical and classroom educators who teach medical students and residents. My current study is exploring how learners approach giving feedback to their teachers and preceptors. While there are plentiful guidelines for teachers in giving feedback, there is a lack of comparable guidance for learners. Given that my previous study found that teachers highly value feedback from their learners, I hope to help optimize ‘upward feedback’ processes, as one of the many ways to support clinicians who teach.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from doing education research?

I have come to greatly appreciate and value institutional ethics review boards. The task of completing an ethics application can be time consuming, with a lot of back and forth with reviewers in an effort to clarify every detail of your proposed project. I always knew that ethics was there to protect participants, but I’ve found that in every study I’ve done, a seemingly innocuous question leads to an emotional disclosure by someone. Whether its clinicians talking about ways in which they do or don’t feel valued, or medical students talking about ways in which they’ve tried to address teaching concerns, it is important to be prepared for these situations and to offer appropriate support. Your ethics application is a good place to map this out.

What HPE research finding or theory has had the greatest impact on your work?

An oldie but a goodie is Herzberg’s (1959) two-factor theory on motivation. When we think of building someone’s motivation, we often think of it as an individual issue. This theory highlights that you could be the most motivated person in the world, and still struggle if your environmental conditions create systematic barriers. This theory reminds us that building motivation in individuals is only half the battle; the environment must be addressed as well.

What is one practical tip you might share with new faculty members who wish to pursue education as a prominent part of their career path?

That achievement in HPE research isn’t defined by how quickly you can plow through it, and in fact, there are benefits to taking your time. I had lofty goals when I started my PhD program, but working full-time, starting a family, losing my father, and trying to keep some semblance of a work-life balance has led me to take longer than I initially wanted to. That’s okay, and if anything has given me a more well-rounded perspective. I have a better understanding of the complexities clinicians face when teaching due to my work in faculty development. I have learned about different perspectives as a result of the relationships I’ve built. I have thicker skin because at the end of the day I have two little humans who love me unconditionally. Taking your time also gives you the benefit of seeing how the current societal and political climate may be affecting your research. So, my ‘tip’ would be to give yourself the grace and acceptance to chip away, knowing that doing so can ultimately lead to a stronger contribution to HPE research.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Trail running! I love the feeling of running through the forest and feeling far away from the hustle and bustle. I also love spending time with my family. Our sons Davis (3.5) and Cole (1.5) are my walking hearts and I love watching them grow. Everyone I speak to with older children emphasize how precious this time is, so as hard as it is to fully appreciate that perspective when I’m covered in snot, tears and who knows what else, I always try to remain present and soak up all of the moments, even the chaotic ones.

How did you become involved in Health Professions Education (HPE) research and what drew you to this activity?

Great question! I’ve always been informally involved in some sort of medical school teaching, ironically teaching clinical skills on Thursday afternoons (when post-call) while doing my Internal Medicine residency at Queen’s. From then, I had lots of questions about the how’s and why’s of things - and that led me to meet Dr. Ravi Sidhu on an elective at UBC. He was the program director for the CHES Educator Fellowship and let me sit on an Academic Half Day - and I applied to the Fellowship the next day! We had research intertwined in the Fellowship from the beginning and it was immensely helpful to navigating the matrix that is Undergraduate Medical Education.

What was your first research project about?

I was a second year IM resident – doing a project (audit) about the types of calls residents received – which, pages were able to be answered with a telephone order, a patient assessment or even just a resident-aware comment. This led us to streamlining our processes to reduce the number of low impact calls, so we could focus on urgent patient deteriorations. It was our first time presenting at ICRE.

What have you been exploring in your current scholarship?

Clinical skills is a clinician/educator/researcher’s dream. There are so many exciting things going on and the shift between a virtual classroom setting for teaching bedside clinical examinations has been fascinating to look at. Besides expert-based policy and adaptation for COVID, we’ve been looking at clinical ultrasound teaching delivery and master teachers versus (chief) resident teachers. Sadly, my clinical work has taken me away from research for the last 18 months but our team is ready to resume this as the pandemic eases.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from doing education research?

Perhaps its my background in Critical Care which has taught me this - but the initial information (key data or background to a problem) one uses to start the foundation of any educational enquiry must be completely accurate. Take the time to do this right by really getting a lay of the land (not just starting things on a hunch), using a collaborative and wide approach of inclusivity. If this doesn’t happen, then a hypothesis is inaccurate (as the premise is ill-informed), which leads to skewed information-gathering and a conclusion which is neither relevant or reproducible. What I see time and time again (even from seasoned medical education leaders) is an inaccurate initial piece of information (or key pieces lacking) and then (unfortunately) misguided conclusions suggesting very costly and time-consuming changes which all stem from a fatal piece of misinformation.

What has been the most important lesson you have learned through your teaching and innovation?

Build a superb team and trust them to help with tasks. Paul Winwood does this extremely well and it shows. Previously in VFMP Clinical Skills, we were lucky to have a superb trio of directors that could handle the day-to-day, as well as innovate, provide concise and accurate updates to the curriculum and had practical teaching experience (two of us were CHES Fellowship alumni). We all looked forward to monthly meetings because they were so productive, collaborative and such a welcoming environment to be a part of!

What is one practical tip you might share with new faculty members who wish to pursue education as a prominent part of their career path?

I think most of the new faculty I have met all want to take on a lot and sometimes it’s about weighing things up and politely declining some educational/career opportunities. I get some of the fellows/senior trainees to use this analogy. First, start by defining your immediate core needs (SO, children/parents, etc.) then add in absolutely necessary work/other family commitments (on call/OR slates, etc.), and then estimate what you are being asked to take on. Increase it by 10% as you want to do a good job/excel. Everyone’s substrate is different but then as the ‘stress test’ - consider how much your life could cope with, 1) an at-fault medical malpractice lawsuit, 2) illness of a first-degree family member, or 3) a significant work problem (toxic work environment, disagreement about decision-making, etc.). If that strain crosses your (personal) line of what can be handled, it sounds like the job is too much to take on at this time.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Gosh, this is a funny question these days. I’m not sure that “outside of work” exists much for an ICU doc when in the middle of a 4th pandemic wave. I love to garden and my vegetable garden was amazing this year - we had grapes, figs, blackberries, tomatoes, eggplant, kale, green peppers, lemons, lettuce and garlic. And when the time is right I like scuba-diving, travelling (Northern Japan and Marlborough, New Zealand are a couple of my go-tos), hiking, and clay-pigeon shooting.

How did you become involved in Health Professions Education (HPE) research and what drew you to this activity?

In 2017 I was awarded a UBC Dept of Family Practice Rural Scholar Grant, to conduct rural research on my chosen topic of physician wellness. I quickly realized I would need mentorship to learn about research, and was fortunate to build a connection with CHES. This has been a great relationship for me – as someone who is an ‘outsider’ and new to research it was wonderful to be welcomed into the community, and to have the support needed to further my education in research.

What have you been exploring in your current scholarship?

I have just submitted to a journal my paper on informal peer support for physicians, which is a very exciting topic for me. Informal peer support has really not been studied, and yet my research showed that this form of support has been crucial to the participants in my study. Many felt they would not have been able to continue in the practice of medicine without it. If we can support access to informal peer support through medical education, we might really impact the working lives of physicians, and their patients.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from doing education research?

I was surprised to learn that even though I am new to research, I have something to offer that is in some ways unique. Most of what I have learned has been the hard way, from my lived experience. This is a great complement to an understanding of the literature, and to conducting research, and has been a real asset in my work.

What is your favorite part of the educational process? What keeps you inspired?

I love creating educational programs that are innovative and really tailored to meet the needs of learners, perhaps in new and better ways. For instance, the ultrasound program I created offers a menu of learning options. We were the first program in Canada to ask learners what topics they needed to learn, rather than telling them what they needed to learn.

What has been your most memorable interaction with a class or learner?

When I taught a rural doctor and a complete beginner how to use the ultrasound machine, and the following week I got an email from that person describing how they used the ultrasound to save a patient’s life. Empowering physicians is a real joy.

What has been the most important lesson you have learned through your teaching and innovation?

It’s okay if you can’t see how to get to where you want to go. Sometimes there is no path, and you have to create your own. This is an exciting opportunity, because you can be very innovative, and perhaps create something that hasn’t been done before. It helps to stay true to what you know, to seek the input from others, and always listen to your target audience.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I like to be outside! Living rurally has allowed me wonderful access to the outdoors, and I’ve been lucky enough to do a multitude of wilderness trips throughout BC and the Canadian Arctic.

How did you become involved in Health Professions Education (HPE) research and what drew you to this activity?

As a trained education researcher specialized in Science Education, I started designing research programs at the Centre for Carniofacial Molecular Biology (CCMB) at the University of Southern California (USC) in my last year of PhD study in 1997. At that time, USC was running a parallel Problem-Based Learning (PBL) pilot dental program. Although I left Los Angeles and moved to Michigan State University to continue as a senior researcher with the US-NRC Third International Mathematics and Science Study, I still remained as a research Assistant Professor with USC-CCMB, where I started the connection with Health Professions Education.

What was your first research project about?

My first research project was to understand how might PBL look like in clinical setting. I was a participant observer and tagged along with the dental students for one semester to derive at my recommendations on what PBL Clinical Dentistry can be.

What have you been exploring in your current scholarship?

Since January 2020, I have begun working with various scientists and researchers of global population health using COVID-19 data to inform and communicate pandemic mitigation directions. Also as a result of the pandemic-forced remote teaching reality, I have initiated a cross-institutional research agenda with colleagues at the University of Toronto to explore how students learn and how instructors learn to teach in online environment. A new doctoral student has been working with me on understanding professionalism in dentistry as to how students perceive it and how might professional identity can shape or enhance professionalism.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from doing education research?

The most important lesson is that there are many interesting research ideas but too little time to enact those ideas. Prioritization of tasks is very critical to continue maintain well-being.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I enjoy outdoor activities a lot. I used to spend each summer rock climbing in the Rockies but as I am also a mother with a young child, instead of climbing, we camp and hike a lot in summer. During the pandemic, we walk a lot around the seawall and in the Pacific Spirit Provincial parks. I also run at least 5K every morning to awaken my mind to start the day.

What has been the most important lesson you have learned through your teaching and innovation?

Collaboration. Through Indigenous health competency initiatives with the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA), I have certainly enjoyed collaboration between our Quality Care, Annual Scientific Committee and Education Committees. It has also led to developing interactive case-based role-playing to further educational opportunities in this important area of patient care for rheumatologist, rheumatology trainees and allied health. I have also seen collaboration spawn further activities at a national level within rheumatology education, with the enhancement of collaboration within the CRA Education Committee. Over the past 3 years, through restructuring the national group into the spectrum of medical education (UG, PG, CPD), we have seen a growth in activities. These have included developing a National Rheumatology Undergraduate Curriculum, providing Postgraduate CBD support, and fostering the delivery of accredited in person and virtual CPD initiatives. Connecting with CHES and the eHealth Strategy Office and rheumatology colleagues, enabled the development of video-based peer assessment to support continuing professional development. This is something that cannot happen without collaboration.

Who inspired you to make teaching and education such a prominent part of your career?

Cheryl Cox and Dr. Stephen Aaron. They both used approaches to capture my imagination and interest in pharmacy and medicine, respectively. Cheryl Cox assisted with both the development of unique pharmacy rotations, going the extra mile, to help setup rotations for a University of Alberta pharmacy student in London, Ontario and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as collaborate on Interdisciplinary Learning Initiatives between pharmacy and medicine as an early medical trainee. Dr. Aaron was engaging in case-based learning from first year medical school, which led to further clinical and research opportunities that not only spawned interest in my clinical area, but also furthered connections to develop my interest in teaching and education.

What is one practical tip you might share with trainees who wish to pursue education as a prominent part of their career path?

Engagement. Become involved in organizations within your school as well as health professional trainee organizations. This fosters collegiality, opportunities for connection, deliberation, and leadership which continue to be necessary for a future in education. These involvements continue to hone the important skill of balancing of a variety of responsibilities.

What has been the most important lesson you have learned through your teaching and innovation?

Interactive learning. Small group learning, discussion and reflection continue to be quintessential to changing our behavior over time. Let us not just remember that it was a good session or a good speaker but strive to have a few pearls that come with it, not just for a few minutes or a few days...

What do you like to do outside work?

Enjoyment. Contributing to my community with volunteering, biking, hiking and spending time with my family are important. They help me assist with rejuvenation and connection. I am certainly grateful for these opportunities, especially during these challenging times with the global pandemic.

How did you become involved in Health Professions Education (HPE) research and what drew you to this activity?

I can credit my interest in education and research to two of my earliest mentors – Drs. Irene Ma and Kevin McLaughlin. As my longitudinal Year 1 and 2 clinical skills preceptor, Dr. McLaughlin taught me many of my foundational skills, and importantly, how to treat patients with a deep sense of humanism and compassion. This has stuck with me and is something I strive to impart on my trainees. As an Internal Medicine resident, Dr. Ma helped me learn how to ask meaningful research questions and design practical programs of research, and provided the best support possible to help me become an independent researcher – the marker of a great mentor!

What was your first research project about?

My first major project involved designing a simulated night on call. I invited new PGY-1 residents to spend a 12-hour night from 8pm to 8am in the simulation lab, to give them a chance to respond to simulated ward calls. We ran only 5 cases over the night, which allowed the residents to understand what it was like to be woken up from sleep to respond to an urgent situation. The resident participants found that it decreased their anxiety in anticipation of their first real call shift, but unfortunately the human resources cost of this was quite high – it was hard to recruit senior residents to spend a night in the simulation lab to supervise!

What has been your most memorable interaction with a class or learner?

I’ve recently started to get involved in patient education through Zoom seminars. As a way to keep participants engaged, I included a few ‘dance breaks’ throughout the session. It’s pretty fantastic and inspiring to see a gallery view of patients dancing to James Brown’s “Get up offa that thing”! I’ve learned that, as a teacher, it’s important to show your learners, whether they are trainees or patients, the lighter side of medicine.

What has been the most important lesson you have learned through your teaching and innovation?

Change is slow, but important. When I finished my training, I had grand ideas of re-vamping certain aspects of clinical teaching, and thought that it could be accomplished in a few years. Six years later, I’ve learned that evaluating the reasons for change often yields new realizations into what ought to be improved and what might be better left as-is, and that the things that fall into the former category are really worth the effort!

What is one practical tip you might share with new faculty members who wish to pursue education as a prominent part of their career path?

Try to build a team around you of mentors and peers within your career field. They are invaluable in debriefing difficult teaching encounters as they relate to your area of work, and can help build a critical mass of educational expertise.

What do you like to do outside work?

One of my favourite ways leave work behind is to ride home – either on my bicycle or my Street Twin! My perfect day off work definitely includes a couch, a pot of tea, and a good book. When we’re not in the midst of a pandemic, I hope to get back to travelling, with Japan and Switzerland being next on my list. We’ll get there someday!

What was your first teaching experience? How did it go?

I was a senior undergraduate student in Biological Psychology at UBC when I was given my first opportunity to teach an animal behaviour lab and – it was not good! I missed the mark in so many ways in terms of supporting student learning but through that experience I learned that I loved teaching even though I wasn’t any good at it yet. This led me to CTLT (then TAG) where I took many workshops and, eventually became a faculty developer with the unit. I have since been honoured with the Killam Teaching Prize, taught in many different environments and supported faculty members in various disciplines across campus and beyond to enhance their teaching skills. I still find teaching the most wonderful challenge – I feel as though I am always learning and improving.

What is your favorite part of teaching?

It is easily figuring out the most effective way to engage students so that they can achieve the learning objectives for whatever I am teaching. I spend a lot of time thinking about what I want students to take away from my class and how to best support them to “get there” by starting with where they are at. I absolutely love creating and implementing effective learning experiences.

What is one practical tip you would share with new teachers?

When I first started teaching, I thought that copying good teachers was what I should be doing. However, I have since learned that “one size does not fit all” with being a good teacher – there are many different types of “good” and, what works for one person may not work for another. So, try things out when you are developing your craft and be ready to let techniques go if they do not fit who you uniquely are as an instructor.

What would you say is your most significant contribution to the realm of teaching?

No longer being needed by my students! Much of my teaching in health sciences relates to the development of effective problem identification and decision-making skills. I know I have done my job when students no longer need me to help them with this process.

Why did you enter the field of Health Professions Education (HPE) research?

My Masters and PhD are in basic science and, after being fully immersed in scientific discovery for so long part of my identity is as a scientist. While my career over the last number of years has been teaching-focused, I always knew I would to return to research. Combining research with enhancing education is the perfect partnership of my love for teaching and research. I have found that, as an educator, it can be easy to make assumptions about what is happening (and why) in a learning experience. I love that the research process requires gathering of objective data to inform my understanding ultimately allowing me to make better decisions regarding the efficacy of educational processes.

What do you most hope to accomplish through your research efforts?

I am very curious about change – how to support individuals to change as well as what holds people back from making a change. Lately, I have become interested in the role that relationship and connection can play in supporting change. Through my work in this area, I hope to develop effective ways to support faculty members and students to change and be successful in whatever they aspire to.

What do you like to do outside work?

Many things! I love being outdoors. This includes walking my beloved dog, Louis, hiking (a shot here with my sons up Hollyburn mountain on Remembrance Day a few years ago), kayaking, camping/backpacking and skiing (mostly downhill, but also cross-country). I also love sharing good food and wine with family and friends. And, over the past number of years, travelling to Europe with my husband, Willard (a shot here of us picnicking in Southern France).

Why did you enter the field of Health Professions Education (HPE) research?

In 2008 I was hired into the role of the Director of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in the Faculty of Medicine. I had just finished a PhD in Cardiovascular Physiology and I was looking for a major career change – I was actively seeking something that had a great deal of impact directly on patient outcomes. It turned out to be quite the fit as there was an opportunity to start research in the field of Medical Education which I found very exciting. To be honest, I had to do a lot of reading and listening and just being curious to catch up to the field of CPD (which I had almost no experience in when I began). After I started my role, Dr. Glenn Regehr was brought to CHES as the first faculty member and we began to meet frequently to talk about research in Medical Education. This was hugely helpful in getting me more versed in the literature and what conversations were happening in the community and through this mentorship Glenn got me actively interested in the field and what contributions I could make.

What would you describe as your most significant contribution to the field of HPE research?

Initiating a more formal CPD program of research is an accomplishment that I am proud of, and it continues to be a work in progress. Over my career, I have been actively working on bringing more of a research focus to all CPD activities whether it be through relationships, resources, or acknowledgement of the importance of this work from a leadership perspective within an academic CPD unit. Probably my biggest contribution along with the team at UBC CPD has been evolving the CPD paradigm. The field is in the midst of a major shift towards embedding learning in the workplace and alignment with quality improvement. As one of the only existing levers for change, CPD has the power to transform clinical care delivery models, support team-based practice, and close gaps in care through enhanced relationships and data-driven practice improvement. One of the main focuses of CPD is building educational programs that cultivate relationships between health professionals, for example through coaching, mentorship, or post-program support. Research shows that longitudinal, multi-exposure, and relationship-based learning is highly effective. These activities have also been shown to increase professional satisfaction and be a catalyst for meaningful and sustained practice improvement. These changes in the CPD paradigms also presents opportunities for a new research construct which we continue to explore and pursue.

What have you been exploring in your current scholarship?

As I mentioned above, our approach to CPD is very different than it used to be where traditional forms of CPD are being augmented to provide personalized and bespoke activities that aim to assist physicians and other health care professionals in successfully applying what they learn into their practices to improve the quality of patient care. I am passionate about the safe and voluntary use of data to support and influence practice improvement and CPD. The majority of health providers in British Columbia now use electronic medical records which can be a powerful tool for identifying learning needs and tracking improvements in patient care over time. Much of the scholarship has been centered on supportive relationships that health professionals build as a result of CPD interventions such as mentoring and coaching programs. I have explored perceived and unperceived needs along with barriers and enablers that promote learning in a CPD context and feel that linking CPD to QI presents and opportunity for meaningful measurement in practice.

How do you find time/structure your HPE research to ensure the work moves forward?

This presents a constant challenge in my role as Associate Dean of CPD. Scholarship and research are very important to my work and my own values but in many instances get pushed to the side of my desk due to my leadership role. In the past, I would make small attempts to keep research pursuits moving whether it was through conversation, mentorship, or writing. Recently, I have been leading a research working group within CPD to begin to formalize the thinking and doing in order to embed research into daily work so there is more structure to support in building a program of CPD research. Working with others and setting individual and group deadlines has certainly helped ensure the work continues to progress.

What do you like to do outside work?

I love running and being outdoors, anything from hiking to skiing. I have run a number of marathons including the Boston Marathon in 2011. Recently, my physical activity consists of chasing around my two young sons (Ty age 4 and Jake had his first birthday on Christmas Eve) - they both keep me on my toes. I’m looking forward to more travel with my husband and children – we have already created a bucket list of trips we want to take as a couple and as a family in the coming years.

What was your first research project about? What have you been exploring in your current research?

My first health professions education research project was the thesis project for my Masters degree in health professions education. A few years ago, I coordinated the development of a regional orientation strategy for occupational therapists hired at Vancouver Coastal Health. When we reviewed the literature to help inform the strategy, there wasn’t much there to help us. My curiosity about what is best practice for supporting new therapists led to me to explore what newly hired, new graduate OTs think of the employer supports they received when they start work. Choosing a very practical, very relevant topic kept me going even when it felt like a tough slog. Even though I have completed the degree, I am continuing on with this project. Because the prime reason for conducting this research was the lack of evidence in the literature, I would like to publish something that will hopefully be of use to other OTs.

Current work related to education

I work as an occupational therapy clinical resource therapist at Vancouver Coastal Health. In this role, I help occupational therapists (OTs) gain the knowledge and skills they need to be able to do their jobs. My job duties include creating resources, leading education sessions and helping therapists work through clinical issues as they happen. I am also a Clinical Assistant Professor with the UBC Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Over the years, I have done a number of roles related to occupational therapy students, including being a preceptor for fieldwork education, facilitating small group tutorials, being the clinical supervisor for student research projects and coordinating OT student fieldwork placements and clinic visits at Vancouver Coastal Health.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from doing education research?

I think the most important lesson that I have learned in my limited experience with education research is the value of having a clear plan for data analysis before collecting the data. I suppose that should be obvious, but I did need to learn it by experience.

What was your first teaching experience? How did it go?

My first teaching experience was teaching an Introduction to Rehabilitation course for rehabilitation assistant students at the College of the North Atlantic. I had only been working as an OT for a couple of years and didn’t have most of the experience the job posting asked for, but I thought ‘that sounds interesting, I’m sure I can do it’ (for not the first, nor the last time). It was a lot more work than I had expected…because it was the first year that the College offered the program, the teaching materials consisted of only a very rough outline.

What is your favorite part of the educational process?

My favourite part of the educational process is working with new graduates. I love watching them grow as therapists and seeing how relatively small actions on my part such as talking through complicated clinical cases can increase their confidence or skills and help them on their way to becoming fantastic occupational therapists providing excellent patient care.

What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work, my leisure activities have certainly been curtailed by working on my recently completed Masters degree. Now that I am finished, I am doing my best to catch up on my reading, baking, gardening and socializing. We have a house where friends and family often drop by for dinner. Most excitingly, I recently took up springboard and tower diving again after a decades long hiatus.

What is your favorite part of the educational process? What keeps you inspired?

My most inspiring moments in my administrative roles came from my work as Associate Programme Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Programme. For 3 years I was responsible for designing, implementing and assessing all of the remediation for 150 residents. I am amazed at the resilience of struggling learners. At times their journey seemed overwhelming, but they persevered and ended up being very successful in the programme. Reflecting on their growth and achievements continues to inspire me today. With competency by design, we are focusing on competencies rather than time, and I am hoping that we can de-stigmatize the fact that some learners simply need more time and support to achieve their competencies. I currently reserve time in my clinic specifically for struggling learners and have taken second year medical students all the way to senior residents. I act as a Remediation Supervisor and am on a team with a mission to increase the flexibility of year 3 to allow remediation time for learners who need the extra time but do not necessarily need to repeat the entire year.

What has been your biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge I have is managing my schedule! I have competing administrative, teaching, clinical, research and personal schedules that all need to be amalgamated. For example I had to bake a cake for the school carnival “cake walk” the evening we had our big UGME retreat dinner (I baked it the weekend before and froze it … my mentor Joanna Bates has always advised me to simply buy a cake – but Joanna I could not in this case because every year I bake “the cake with the gummy bears and M&Ms”). It is inevitable that something falls apart from time to time. My goal has been to increase the intervals between those times… a work in progress. My colleagues in my division have been incredible. We all understand the complexities of the chaos of juggling and we step in to help each other all of the time. As my friend Craig says, “when you have the wrong day for a meeting, it actually doesn’t matter that you have the wrong time as well”.

What was your first research project about?

My previous research looked at a unique feedback model and we discovered that two conditions facilitated effective feedback: the teacher and learner were engaged in a longitudinal supportive relationship, and feedback was divorced from summative assessment. Building on this, I was involved in launching a coaching programme for the first year internal medicine residents: the design, the recruitment and training of coaches. Through this, we are supporting the residents to be self-regulated learners and the hope is for them to co-create learning goals with their coaches. One of my current research endeavours is to examine how this can best happen and how we can best support our coaches in this role. As Associate Director of Curriculum, I am launching a modified version of this aimed at fourth year medical students.

What do you like to do outside work?

My personal life is hectic, noisy and busy. I have three energetic (“spirited”) boys, a dog (Newfoundlander) and a kitten. Someone is always asking me for something, someone is always hungry, someone is always running down the hall, screaming or barking. Someone always needs a bath (and no one wants to take one … well maybe the dog is OK with it). But my kids won’t be living with me forever so I focus on enjoying every minute. I like to go out with my husband and friends for good food and good wine. My husband and I like listening to jazz and will try to seek out live bands when we can. I like to read and am still in the same book club I was before I had kids. I try to stay active with my children and we ski, hike, run (my oldest and I do the Sun Run together every year) and bike.