This week, the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) hosted its premier event: Innovation in Education Week. This annual event supports the scholarly contributions of faculty, residents, students, and staff at the School of Medicine, while also offering new opportunities to innovate, collaborate, and recognize our peers.
Throughout the week, the CEE celebrated research and innovations across degree programs in the School of Medicine and invited nationally renowned speakers to provide keynote presentations surrounding the topic. Awards were also provided to top presentations in several categories.
This week serves to support the scholarly teaching of all faculty and to recognize the original scientific contributions to the field of education scholarship among our accomplished faculty, trainees, and staff. I am immensely proud of the work we have celebrated this week and the inspiration it has provided to each of work as educators. – Michael S. Ryan, MD, MEHP, Director of the Center for Excellence in Education.
This year 26 abstracts were selected by a team of reviewers for a first-ever digital poster session, in addition to the poster reception Wednesday evening. Presentations spanned topics across the continuum of training including: pre-doctoral pathway programs, medical school, residency/fellowship, and continuing professional development innovations and original research. Three of the most highly rated abstracts were presented in an oral fashion on Monday afternoon.
Poster authors present their education research.
On Wednesday evening, poster authors were invited to a reception where they discussed and celebrated their research with peers and colleagues. At the reception, awards were also presented to the Best Overall Abstract, Top Research Poster, Top Innovation Poster, and Top Trainee Poster. A full list of winners is included below.
Other events during the week included two keynote presentations. At the UVA keynote address, Chris Hulleman, PhD, Research Professor Professor of Education and Public Policy in the School of Education and Human Development, shared his research on learner mindset and motivation. In his talk titled “Creating Healthier Psychological Air for Medical Students,” Dr. Hulleman shared research around the burnout rates in medical students, and emphasized the importance of a growth mindset and a sense belonging in learner motivation.
The external keynote was presented on Wednesday by Martin Pusic, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Pusic discussed the importance of learning curve theory, particularly in competency-based instructional systems in his talk “Why Do They Call it a Learning Curve? Understanding the Non-linearity of Learning and the Implications for Education Programs and Research.”
The Center for Excellence in Education would like to congratulate the following faculty and trainees on their awards:
- Best Overall Abstract: The Use of Simulation-Based Mastery Learning to Teach Obstetric Procedural Skills. Authors: Gabrielle Smith, MD; Shivani Arza, MD; and Chris Ennen, MD
- Top Research Poster: Same Struggles, Different Stages? A Descriptive Look at Domains Needing Remediation for Residents and Fellows. Authors: Karen M. Warburton, MD; Eric Goren, MD; Peter Yen, MD; and Janae K. Heath, MD, MSCE
- Top Innovation Poster: Spanish Grand Rounds: Impact of a Spanish Language Emergency Medicine Lecture Series on Resident Diversity. Authors: James H. Moak, MD; Amita Sudhir, MD; Joshua S. Easter, MD; Nardos H. Makonnen, MD; Christopher D. Thom, MD
- Top Trainee Poster: Establishing Near-Peer Mentoring as Part of Curriculum for Post-Clerkship Students. Authors: Bhavik Patel (SMD 2027); Danielle Rinaldi (SMD 2025); Davis Tran (SMD 2025); and Dana Redick, MD
The Center for Excellence in Education and its programming is made possible through generous support from the UVA School of Medicine. The CEE would like to extend sincere gratitude to all the members of the Steering, Education Research, Innovation, and Educator Advancement Committees who served as abstract reviewers, poster reviewers, and judges for oral presentations. In particular, the CEE would like to thank Nora Kern, MD, and Kathryn Mutter, MD, for moderating the oral presentations and award ceremonies.
Digital posters can be viewed on the slideshow outside the Health Sciences Library or on the CEE website through Friday, March 7. Read more about the 2025 Innovation in Education Week activities.
Photos by Josh Crane.
