Implicit bias negatively affects patients and clinicians alike in a variety of healthcare settings. Unconscious feelings and attitudes about others can damage professional and personal relationships. Demystifying Bias At the virtual ACR Division & Program Directors Conference in March, three physician leaders presented a panel called, Demystifying Bias: Empowering You to Have Courageous Conversations, and…
Editor’s note (March 23, 2022): In 2022, the Division Directors Conference and Program Coordinators Conference will both be part of ACR Education Exchange, held April 28–May 1 in Orlando, Fla. Registration is now open. New fellowship program directors often step into the role with little in the way of training, resources or mentoring. That’s where…
“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts,” said mid-20th century scholar and writer C.S. Lewis. Although he was speaking to the importance of the holistic education of students, the same idea rings true for a 21st century nurse practitioner (NP) new to rheumatology. Indeed, the care…
Although providing feedback is often discussed as separate from teaching, it is the most important teaching we do as clinician-educators. Whether attending on the inpatient consult service or precepting in the clinic, providing direct feedback is the most effective way to help fellows advance their skills. Feedback, however, is only as good as the giver…
Rheumatologists are natural teachers. As a group we are drawn to the mystery of making a diagnosis and enjoy passing on our fascinating and alluring detective game to students. Some of us extend our expertise to become clinical investigators or bench scientists, and others devote ourselves to the education of trainees and education scholarship. Similar…
Sir William Osler, a pioneer of modern medical education, taught “medicine is learned by the bedside and not in the classroom.”1 How, then, do we learn medicine in a world dominated by virtual interactions? This question was forced upon us in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. From telemedicine to remote meetings, the rheumatology community…
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all rheumatology fellowship interviews conducted in the 2020 fellowship recruitment season were conducted in a virtual, video-based format to reduce the risks associated with travel and face-to-face meetings. In June 2020, the Coalition for Physician Accountability released guidance suggesting all programs commit to online-only interviews and recruitment events, even…
Preparing for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Rheumatology Certification Exam can easily be one of the most anxiety-inducing times for young trainees (and even seasoned rheumatologists). Once again, you are asked to demonstrate mastery of your knowledge in a medical field, and this time it is for the field of rheumatology—a discipline with…
“It’s crazy! None of the pictures online look like me!” a young Black woman with systemic lupus earythematosus (SLE) exclaimed. We could only affirm her observation and agree that it was unfair. Like many patients with SLE, our patient was diagnosed at a young age and suffered severe complications that required kidney transplantation before her…
Civil unrest in response to racism is a call for realignment of priorities in all aspects of society, including medical education. Hospital preparedness demands training in the treatment of victims of pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets, as well as planning for lockdown procedures in healthcare facilities and medical schools. Beyond logistics though, events…