The DOM Clinical & Education Retreat brought together faculty, trainees, and educators on Friday, October 30, for a day of learning, reflection, and friendly competition focused on advancing excellence in patient care and medical education.
The retreat opened with remarks from Dr. Nadia Hansel, director of the DOM, followed by Medical Grand Rounds and a keynote address from Dr. Amy Ship, primary care doctor & educator at Atrius Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital and assistant professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Her interactive keynote,"Paying Attention: The Arts and Humanities in Medical Education," explored how the humanities can strengthen communication, humanism, and physician well-being in medical training and practice by asking the audience to reflect on photos and poems, as well as their own experiences.
Attendees then participated in a Professional Identity Workshop led by Dr. Beau Landry-Wegener, assistant professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine at JHH, whose work focuses on communication skills, emotional intelligence, and professional development across the medical education continuum. Participants moved around the room to introduce themselves to each other with details from their personal, professional, and organizational lives.
A highlight of the day was the annual Teaching Competition, which showcased the exceptional talent and dedication of DOM trainees as each participant delivered a seven-minute presentation on a variety of topics. Participants included Drs. Boyoung Ahn, Lillian Hallmark, Elie Kesaf, Christine Lopez, Molly Mehta, Isaac Vingan, and Allison Winter. Competitors were supported by a distinguished group of faculty coaches, including Drs. Lenny Feldman, Ravi Gupta, Benjamin Johnson, Niloo Latifi, Susan Mirabal, Lia Penn, and Phillip Wagner. Judges Drs. Gail Berkenblit, Paul O'Rourke, and Tina Zhang had the difficult job of choosing the best presentation, assigning a superlative to each, and ultimately naming Dr. Bo Ahn the winner.
The retreat closed with a Case Problem Solving session where Dr. John Woller, assistant professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine at JHH, and Dr. Natasha Chida, associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, diagnosed a patient in real time to a packed room, encouraging participants to strengthen clinical reasoning skills through collaborative discussion and analysis.
The retreat underscored the Department of Medicine's commitment to fostering outstanding clinical educators, supporting professional growth, and advancing a culture of humanism in medicine. Through engaging presentations, interactive workshops and peer-to-peer learning, attendees left with new perspectives and practical tools to enhance both patient care and medical education.
