Ian S. Hagemann, MD, PhD, Ali Y. Mian, MD, and Michelle M. Miller-Thomas, MD, have been named the 2020-22 Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Teaching Fellows at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

The fellowship program was established in 2004 with a gift from Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb to advance medical education. The two-year fellowship provides recipients with dedicated time to focus on implementing innovative ideas into teaching and training that enhance the education of medical students and residents.

“The dedication and commitment of the Loebs over the years have been an important driver of medical education at Washington University,” said Eva Aagaard, MD, senior associate dean for education and the Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Professor of Medical Education. “Their unwavering support has encouraged and nurtured excellence in modern medical education. The Loebs have played a major role in the medical school’s ongoing efforts to revise and update its curriculum.”

The new curriculum will begin its rollout this fall with a focus on addressing health inequities locally and globally, integrating basic sciences and clinical experiences throughout all four years of medical school, and increasing professional and mental health support programs for students.

“The Loeb Teaching Fellowships support the goals of the new curriculum with projects that emphasize compassionate medicine and innovation,” Aagaard said. “Not only will the fellows selected have the potential to significantly influence our students and residents, but the Loeb fellows’ innovative projects will positively impact the field of medicine. I am excited to see the projects develop and take shape.”

The fellowship program also is supported by The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Hagemann, an associate professor of pathology and immunology, and of obstetrics and gynecology, will augment the medical school’s admission process by creating situational video interviews exploring topics such as cultural humility, ethical reasoning, and resilience. Applicants will be able to complete this part of the interview process remotely. Current medical students will work with faculty and staff to create the interview prompts and evaluate the responses.

“This project is particularly timely as the COVID-19 pandemic has increased interest in using technology to communicate remotely,” said Hagemann, who serves as a subcommittee chair for admissions.

“It’s also innovative in that we are focusing on competencies that are essential for success in the medical profession but that have not been a dedicated focus of our admissions process,” Hagemann said. “Holistic admission practices have the potential to increase diversity in the medical profession. We are excited to have a new way to get to know our applicants better and to share Washington University’s values as we select tomorrow’s leaders in biomedicine.”

Miller-Thomas, an associate professor of radiology, and Mian, an assistant professor of radiology — both in the neuroradiology section of the university’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology — will collaborate on creating materials aimed at teaching the fundamentals of radiology. This information will be woven into the new curriculum at large.

“Revising the medical school’s overall curriculum has provided the opportunity to rethink how radiology is taught in our medical school,” Miller-Thomas said. “Radiology plays a major role in modern medical care. While most of our students will not become radiologists, nearly all will be engaged with medical imaging during the course of their careers.”

Added Mian: “The Loeb Fellowship will allow us to create an integrated and updated radiology primer that will also serve as a durable online resource for medical students. The project will support the course directors, bridge the preclinical and clinical years, and span across all phases of the new curriculum. We share the university’s goal of propelling our future physicians into practice, in part by gaining a systemwide understanding of radiology’s role in patient care.”

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