20th Annual McCahan Medical Campus Education Conference Focuses on Transition, Transformation
BU Medical Campus Provost and Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Dean Karen Antman, MD, noted the passage of time in her opening remarks to those gathered in person in Hiebert Lounge and online May 21 for the 20th annual McCahan Medical Campus Education Conference.
John McCahan, MD, former interim medical school dean and longtime associate dean for academic affairs with Karen Antman, MD, the current medical school dean and BUMC provost. “We started this conference 20 years ago and it seems like yesterday,” said Antman, who founded the conference in her first year as dean of the medical school to honor John McCahan, MD, who served as the medical school’s associate dean of academic affairs for 30 years and was retiring after two years as interim medical school dean.
“It was so important to have a day to celebrate education, pedagogy and research in education highlighted once a year, that we continued the tradition,” said Antman. “Our trainees pursuing PhDs and professional degrees are expected to assimilate vast amounts of information, and therefore we owe it to them to make it as easy as possible for them to do so.”
“It is one of the events that gets faculty from different disciplines together in the same room. It’s a wonderful, wonderful concept,” McCahan said in brief remarks to the audience.
This year’s conference focused on Tradition & Transformation and included in-person and online workshops, roundtable discussions, a research poster session, educator awards, and awards for research abstracts by faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students.
In Antman’s keynote address, she spoke about more training for students, staff and faculty in leadership, communication, and conflict management skills.
“You need to be forming educational teams. Nobody in the research labs writes single-author papers,” said Antman, who would like BU to become even better recognized as a leader in healthcare education research.
“I think it’s really incredible to have the opportunity to present medical education research,” said third-year medical student Rachel Kim, MS’23, standing with third-year medical student Samuel Roytburd, ‘MD’27, next to a poster of their research evaluating medical student participation in a group educating heart failure patients on managing their condition to reduce readmission.
Third-year medical students Rachel Kim and Samuel Roytburd explain their medical education research at McCahan Day poster session.
Kim found it rewarding to have opportunities to pursue projects that can improve the experience of other medical students.
“A lot of work is being done in silos and this is a good way to break that down and be able to see what others are doing and get feedback on your own research,” said Omar Siddiqi, MD, assistant professor of medicine in cardiovascular medicine and director of the Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship Program.
A reception for Antman, who is stepping down after 20 years in her roles as dean and provost to rejoin the faculty, was held following the education conference. Approximately 150 attended the event held in person in the Instructional Building’s L4 Team-Based Learning Lab with 50 more online. During her 20-year tenure, every floor of the Instructional Building has been substantially renovated, a new medical student residence was built along with new research cores and centers, the recently completed clinical skills and simulation center was accomplished with a $10 million donation from Rod Hochman, MD (CAS’79, CAMED’79), and his wife Nancy Hochman (Sargent’77, ’83) and a transformative $100 million gift from Edward and Pamela Avedisian named the school the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and provided $50 million for medical student scholarships, $25 million for endowed professorships, and $25 million to the Avedisian Fund for Excellence, supporting research and teaching.
In her remarks to those attending the reception, Antman thanked donors, current and former chairs, deans and financial and facilities leadership.
“Looking at everyone here today, I can’t think of a group more dedicated to the school in so many ways,” she said.
“My favorite thing that I’ve observed about you is your tireless advocacy for students. The skills lab, the cost of education, the fitness center, the dorms; no matter what the topic, you are a student-first person,” said University President Melissa Gilliam, MD, MPH. “You bring wit, humor, kindness and smarts to everything that you do…You and your enduring vision and your tireless efforts ensure that the future of this institution is very, very bright.”
John McCahan Educator Award Winners
Graduate Medical Sciences Faculty Recognition Award – Elizabeth Duffy, MA, assistant professor of pathology & laboratory medicine.
Henry M. Goldman Faculty Appreciation Award – Predoctoral Category – Jason Zeim, DMD, clinical instructor of general dentistry; director, predoctoral endodontics.
Henry M. Goldman Faulty Appreciation Award – Postdoctoral Category – Robert McDonough, MA, instructor of health policy & health services research.
Crest Oral-B P&G Professional Oral Health Excellence in Teaching the Basic Sciences Award – Elizabeth Whitney, PhD, clinical associate professor.
SPH Innovation Award (educational) – Marcia Pescador Jimenez, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology.
Chobanian & Avedisian SOM Affiliate Teaching Award – Olga Kuznetsova, MD, lecturer.
Kaiser Permanente Silicon Valley Affiliate Teaching Award – Latasha Williams, MD.
Best Student Abstract
“Enhancing Teaching Assistant Preparedness in Dental Education: Development and Delivery of a Feedback Training Module’” Mary Catherine Carroll, BA1, Marianne Jurasic, DMD, MPH1,2 Robert McDonough, MA1,2, Matthew Mara, DMD, EdD1,3
1Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 2Health Policy & Health Services Research, 3Global & Population Health
Best Resident Abstract
“Cross-cultural Adaptation of the Flipped Classroom Pedagogy in Dental Education,” Kevin Ma, DDS, Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics.
Best Faculty/Staff Abstract
“The Thrive Liaison Initiative: Outreach to New Students to Increase Belongingness and Connection to Support Staff and Campus Resources,” *Mary Murphy-Phillips, MS1 *Julia Lanham, MPH2 *Carol Dolan, PhD3.
1School of Public Health, Graduate Student Life, 2Career & Practicum Office, 3Community Health Sciences.
* Co-First Authors.