MESSAGE FROM THE INTERIM ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR EVALUATION AND EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
SMHS, and Health Sciences in particular, is fertile ground for educational innovation. Whether solving an existing problem or improving our learners’ educational experiences, innovations are critical for dynamic fields like health professions education (HPE). There are many examples of educational innovations in SMHS that we can take pride in, including new curricular models, novel assessment tools, and state-of-the-art instructional methods. Despite our educational creativity, I suspect many of our innovations may never be “written-up” and submitted for publication. This is unfortunate because publishing an innovation benefits all stakeholders: learners benefit from creative educational approaches that are widely disseminated and used, teachers benefit from reading about solutions that may help them solve their own local problems, and institutions benefit from learning what their peer institutions are doing to address related issues. Ultimately, when it comes to HPE, many of the challenges we all face can be solved through innovation.
Publishing our innovations also benefits the innovation (and the innovator) in several important ways. First, innovations can profit greatly from peer review. As painful as the peer-review process can be at times, there is value in having colleagues vet our ideas. Secondly, we benefit from having our work published. After all, publication is the “coin of the realm” in academia. Publishing is a critical requirement for promotion and tenure, and it is one of the primary ways we “get credit” for all the great work we do. Finally, for innovations to have broader impact on HPE, they often require replication and further study before they are ready for adoption by other educators working in different contexts. Widespread dissemination is an important way to positively impact education beyond our own institution.
Despite the benefits, we often do not publish our innovations due to a variety of barriers. We sometimes fail to recognize the broader value of our work or may be convinced our innovation is unworthy of publication. Other times, the barriers are not about the innovation, per se, but more about the writing process itself. We do not have time to write or do not know how to organize our thoughts into a compelling story. Finally, we sometimes fail to realize that educational innovations are a publishable type of scholarship with an ever-evolving landscape of dissemination options in academic journals, scholarly blogs, and even mainstream media.
Despite these challenges, we can employ strategies to become more productive writers and disseminate our educational innovations. Part of my role in SMHS is to help HS faculty and clinical educators turn their innovations into published scholarship. Building a community of scholars—a network of individuals engaged in a set of activities to achieve a shared scholarship goal—is one of the most effective ways to overcome the barriers described here. Working as a team, the community can divide up writing projects, making them much less overwhelming or time consuming. In addition, members of the community share expertise and provide one another with built-in mentorship and peer review. Lastly, a community of scholars can help members develop relationships and networks that persist far beyond the end of any single project, boosting the scholarly productivity of faculty throughout their careers. Recent work in medical education suggests that communities of scholars generate more and higher quality scholarship than individual investigators working alone. Ultimately, if we do nothing else, I believe we can build new—as well as build on existing—communities of scholars within SMHS.
To this end, we recently convened CHEERS: the Collaborative for Health Education Evaluation, Research, and Scholarship. CHEERS serves as an interdisciplinary, interprofessional forum to discuss, plan, and execute educational research and scholarship using admissions, evaluation, and outcomes data collected by SMHS. CHEERS will “look back” at existing data that might be used to answer important educational research questions and “look forward” to plan prospective research studies using existing and to-be-collected data. Taken together, CHEERS aims to serve as a human and data resource for SMHS students, faculty, and staff interested in conducting educational scholarship. We also hope to foster a culture of diversity and inclusion, interprofessional collaboration and networking, and responsible research and scholarly thinking in HPE. In doing so, we will support the creation and dissemination of new knowledge and informed innovations that establish SMHS as a national leader in HPE and elevate the visibility of our HS programs and teams. For more information about CHEERS, feel free to contact me.
--Anthony R. Artino, Jr., PhD Professor, Department of Health, Human Function and Rehabilitation Sciences Interim Associate Dean for Evaluation and Educational Research
PEOPLE
TOP TEACHER.
Rohini Ganjoo of the Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences (BLS) has received a 2020 SMHS Distinguished Teacher Award. The award is presented annually to faculty members who in their teaching activities demonstrate exceptional ability in the following five areas: communicating information to advance learning, inspiring, motivating, and stimulating learners; being innovative in their teaching; demonstrating a sustained commitment as an educator; and establishing and maintaining a positive learning environment. Ganjoo, who joined HS in 2015, was humbled to receive the award. “I attribute my success to the wonderful team of people I work with in my department and at the school,” she said. “My colleagues continuously amaze me with their dedication and support. And our students who work so hard for a chance at a brighter tomorrow always inspire me.” Lisa Schwartz, who co-teaches a BLS course with Ganjoo, nominated her for the award. “In my work with Rohini, I witnessed firsthand her strong connection with her students by being inspiring, motivating, and stimulating in her teaching approach,” Schwartz said. “Rohini continually works on improving the learning environment. Her ability to implement different teaching models and strategies to provide a consistent and creative student experience is admirable.” In addition to Schwartz’ recommendation, Ganjoo received letters of support for the award from Marcia Firmani, Yuliya Dobrydneve, both of BLS, and Bart Gillum of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies (PAS). In addition to serving as director for three BLS programs -- the MSHS in Medical Laboratory Science, MSHS in Immunohematology and Biotechnology, and MSHS in Translational Microbiology -- Ganjoo also teaches in the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medicine Program in PAS.
BUFF & BLUE.
Sheel Singh is obviously a fan of GW. Not only did Singh, a research program associate who joined HS in September, earn her bachelor degree and a master’s in medical anthropology here, but she’s hoping to enroll here to pursue a medical degree. “In the future, I see myself as a physician working in clinical research with underserved populations,” Singh said. For now, she’s enjoying her role, supporting a federally funded workforce development program, affiliated with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National (CTSI-CN). The CTSI-CN is a partnership between GW and Children’s National Health System. In addition to that work with Reamer Bushardt, Singh is supporting the Athlete Brain Health and Aging Study being conducted by Robert Turner of the Department of Clinical Research and Leadership (CRL). “I really enjoy research and I wanted more experience in an academic setting,” she said. “This position balances clinical research and work on training and support with specific educational activities. The aging study is incredibly exciting.” A native of Scottsdale, Arizona, Singh is happy she made the move east to attend GW. “I wanted to step away from suburbia life and try a new city. I fell in love with GW,” she said. “I see myself as an east coast person now.” Like many of us in lockdown, Singh, a resident of the Petworth neighborhood, has spent a fair share of time watching movies. She’s a fan of horror movies and says “You’re Next” is her favorite. “Usually, I get really angry at characters in horror movies making wrong decisions, but I feel like the main character in this movie makes the right decisions, so I’m always cheering her on. If you like horror movies, I recommend it.”
STRATEGIC PLAN
With this issue of Heartbeats we add a “Strategic Plan” section where we will periodically offer updates on initiatives of our Strategic Plan 2020-2023. The Governor’s Health Sciences Academy at T.C. Williams High School is just one example of our focus area on “Investing in People.” The following article, featured on our website, introduces four Academy students who can’t wait to make an impact in health care.
ACADEMY STUDENTS WANT TO IMPACT HEALTH CARE
Meet Alhaji Bah, Ayrana Brooks, Tiffany Guevara Fuentes, and Tesnim Mohammed.
The four teenagers are among the newest students attending the Governor’s Health Sciences Academy (Academy) at T.C. Williams High School. And they represent the future of health care.
“I’ve always known that I wanted to have a career in the medical professions, but I didn’t really know how to start,” said Bah, a 10th-grader. After hearing about the Academy from friends, he decided to apply. “They were saying such good things about it … I knew I wanted to join because of my passion for medicine. It helps you so much.
“I can’t wait for the future,” the 15-year-old added.
Setting students up for future success in a health sciences career is at the heart of the Academy, a unique collaboration between the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and the Alexandria City Public Schools. The Academy, established in 2018 to respond to the region’s urgent need to expand health care pathways, is an example of how GW Health Sciences is investing in people, a focus area of the Health Sciences Strategic Plan 2020-2023. That focus and three others address the division’s mission to drive innovation and quality in health and health care delivery through education, scholarship, and service.
The Academy promotes career pathways in STEM-focused health sciences fields, supports students who want to pursue postsecondary education, and prepares graduates to meet workforce needs. There are seven career and technical education pathways students can choose from: biomedical informatics, medical laboratory sciences, sports medicine, pharmacy, emergency medical services, nursing, and surgical technology. Based on the selected pathway, Academy students can earn up to 18 college credits from GW while in high school.
The Academy’s first cohort of 85 students will graduate from high school in 2022. More than 400-plus students are expected to graduate by 2025. Academy graduates will earn their high school diploma, career-related industry certification, college credits for coursework, and guaranteed admission to GW SMHS.
Just as Bah joined the Academy to get a head start on a health care career, so did his classmates Brooks, Guevara Fuentes, and Mohammed.
“Ever since I was younger, I've always been interested in health sciences and the human body, so when I heard about the program, I knew that I wanted to apply,” said Mohammed, 15. “There are so many different issues going on in the world … viruses and diseases. I want to be a part of helping people deal with those different issues.”
Mohammed is one of many students in the Academy who are multilingual. She speaks Amharic and Afaan Oromo in addition to English. Bah is fluent in Creole, while Guevara Fuentes and Brooks both speak Spanish. In all, 26 languages are spoken by Academy students.
All four students applaud the Academy’s goal to help diversify health professions. “There aren't a lot of people that look like me that are in the health care field,” Mohammed said. “For future generations, it will be good for them to see somebody that looks like them.”
Brooks, who wants to be a pediatric nurse, agreed. “We all deserve the same equal opportunity so to see more people of color and people from different backgrounds or different races will be a game changer.”
“I want to open doors and opportunities … there are so many wonderful things that come out of the Academy,” she added.
Guevara Fuentes said, “I have seen my mom who doesn’t speak English really struggle. When we have the barrier of language we’re not able to connect or communicate easily. I feel like me speaking a different language besides English will be helpful.”
Bah, too, is excited to have an impact as a future graduate of the Academy. “It’s kind of overwhelming, but it also makes me proud to know that I’m going to be a part of this effort to change the world and increase diversity in these professions,” he said.
Bah, who wants to be a surgeon, has been influenced by his mother, a nurse. “She works so hard and she helps so many people,” he said. “I want to have that feeling that she does whenever she helps someone else.”
Guevara Fuentes’ goal is to have a career as a surgical technologist. “I am very interested in just about anything that has to do with the sciences and health overall and taking care of people,” she said.
She and the other three students took prep courses over the summer so they could enter the Academy as 10th-graders this fall. “At first, I was a little scared … the workload was a little bit heavier, but not too much to the point that it was overwhelming,” Guevara Fuentes, 16, said. “To me, it’s such a great opportunity. You just have to try, and if you have the right intentions … if you have a dream, you can do it.”
Mohammed, who’s interested in emergency medicine, was initially worried about the college-level work required in the Academy, but she’s managing just fine. “The courses have been really great,” she said. “I wasn't so sure about how I would be able to handle it, but I’m able to complete all my work and enjoy the courses .”
She loves being a T.C. Williams and GW student. “I’m really happy because I’m part of a university,” she said. “This is a really big deal for my family. I have three younger brothers, so it’s really important for me to be a role model for them, and to show them that if they work hard, they can do what they want.”
Brooks also says she’s setting an example for her younger siblings. “I think I’m accomplishing a lot, especially with being only 15. You don’t really hear about a lot of high schoolers doing college classes,” she said. “I am a big influence and role model with my sisters. They watch everything I do because they want to be just like their older sister.”
Brooks is interested in attending GW after graduating from the Academy. If she does, it will continue a family tradition: her grandfather, Michael Brooks earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the GW School of Business in 1970, and her father, Alphonso Brooks, has taken classes in the School of Professional Development.
For now, all four students are trying to cope with virtual classes during the pandemic.
“I kind of have mixed opinions about it,” Guevara Fuentes said. “I like the fact that I get to stay home. I like the comfort of my own house, but I also hate the fact that I don’t get to interact with my classmates or my teachers.”
Brooks agreed. “It’s been difficult adjusting to certain things because I am a hands-on learner, “ she said. “But I’ve adjusted to virtual classes because the teachers make it very easy.”
The initial novelty of attending school from home has worn off for Bah, but he, too, is adjusting. “At first I was excited because I thought I was going to just stay away from school,” he said. “But the longer we’ve been doing this the more I realize it’s kind of hard. The whole general thing is kind of stressful and disappointing, but there’s nothing anyone can do to fix it.”
“It has made me want to pursue a career in the health sciences even more because of the millions of people who are affected by this pandemic,” he added. “It makes me want to help them.”
Being a high schooler and a GW student can be overwhelming at times, Bah admitted. “It kind of makes my heart race a little bit. I’m taking GW college courses with people who are way older than me. They’re like in their 20s taking the same courses,” he said. “I’m trying to make sure it doesn’t get to my head.”For more information about the Governor’s Health Sciences Academy at T.C. Williams High School visit our website.
