Must Reads
What is a ‘Must Read’ for those interested in medical education?
Each month, we identify 3-4 noteworthy articles from the health professions education literature and label them as “must reads.” Selection is based on several criteria including originality and methodological rigor. Our process includes a formal search of the peer-reviewed literature, screening titles and abstracts, full text review, and an editorial meeting to achieve consensus.
Who are we and why are we doing this?
Our reviewers include individuals with expertise in teaching, educational oversight, and research as well as those who are beginning their careers as educational scholars.
The volume of health professions education articles has become overwhelming. In curating some of the best new published papers, we hope to make it easier for all of us to keep abreast of cutting edge educational scholarship and practices.
We’d welcome involvement in the selection process. Reviewers can earn CME credit and contribute to Must Reads research. If you are interested in supporting this work or have perspectives to share, please email Sean Tackett: stacket1@jhmi.edu.
You can also follow @MedEdMustReads on X (aka Twitter) to be notified when new must read articles are selected and sign up to receive an email each month.
(Current Reviewers: Kara Alcegueire, Paul Bain, Suni Ebby, Vyasa Hari, Scott Kinkade, Pranav Kotamraju, Viviane Liao, Liju Mathew, Milad Memari, Amin Nakhostin-Ansari, Ashley Paul, Julianne Perretta, Katherine Senko, Julia Shalen, Sean Tackett, Scott Wright, Tony Zhu)
Featured This Month

The Gist
• Describes 4 problems created by focusing on wellness - (1) creates work-life antagonism, (2) encourages avoidance of adversity, (3) ignores moral dimensions, and (4) overemphasizes individuals over communities - which could be addressed by more holistic thinking.
Why This is a Must Read
Medical education and practice can be challenging and gratifying. Aristotle’s idea of eudaimonia (translated as flourishing) is being revived as an integrative concept to guide individuals toward their full potential.

The Gist
• Students used P&C effectively in simulated scenarios and began using it in new contexts.
Why This is a Must Read
Healthcare has much to learn from other domains. P&C has been used for over a century in the Japanese rail industry to improve safety and has promise for use in health professions education and practice.

The Gist
• Provides historical context and compares (1) fairness, (2) inclusion, and (3) justice orientations, then suggests future directions.
Why This is a Must Read
Assessment is complex. This article clarifies differences and similarities between approaches to equitable assessment and emphasizes the importance of having diverse perspectives incorporated into assessment systems.
Featured

The Gist
• Describes eight steps, including formulating learning objectives, developing cases with student input, and revising cases based on evaluation data.
Why This is a Must Read

The Gist
• Identified 18 codes across individual, relational, organizational, and societal levels that showed challenges when incorporating individual identities with group norms.
Why This is a Must Read

The Gist
• Empathy increased in pre-clinical years and was maintained during clinical rotations.
Why This is a Must Read

The Gist
• Summarizes initiatives that have been effective internationally and proposes meaningful evaluation measures.
Why This is a Must Read

The Gist
• Discusses feedback literacy, links with adult learning theory, and overcoming common challenges.
Why This is a Must Read

The Gist
• Shame, while uncomfortable, could lead to evolution in self-image and professional identity.