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 team is composed of 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 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. 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 Twitter to be notified when new must reads are selected.
(Reviewers: Kavita Chapla, Alaina Chodoff, Kara-Grace Leventhal, Gigi Liu, Emily Ma, Thiago Mendes, Susan Mirabal, Hannah Oswalt, Stasia Reynolds, Ben Roberts, Elizabeth Ryznar, Carolina Saldanha, Dan Sartori, Sean Tackett, Scott Wright)
Featured This Month

The Gist
• Graduates from 3-year programs reported more favorable learning environment ratings, lower debt, and greater likelihood to practice in underserved areas.
WHY THIS IS A MUST READ
Educating physicians is time-consuming and expensive. This study suggests that effective medical student education can occur in shorter time and at less cost, and it may compel medical education to become more efficient.

The Gist
• Nurses felt they had unique perspectives on resident behaviors and were motivated to share, but they felt their feedback may not be welcome.
WHY THIS IS A MUST READ
All members of the healthcare team need to work together to improve education and practice. This article highlights that we need to intentionally break down hierarchies and that simply asking for feedback is one step we can take.

The Gist
• Proposes a 4 “R” framework: (1) Recognize stigma, (2) Reflect on assumptions, (3) Reframe to person-centered language, and (4) Respond to address structural problems.
WHY THIS IS A MUST READ
Longstanding structures can go unnoticed and yet lead to unfair and negative treatment of individuals. The framework and examples offered in this article can guide educational practices that reduce stigma.
Featured

The Gist
• Students felt that videos helped them recall the OSCE more clearly, become more receptive to feedback, and realize new insights into how others perceive them.
WHY THIS IS A MUST READ

The Gist
• Under-representation was most pronounced in the numbers applying to medical school and working as full-time faculty.
WHY THIS IS A MUST READ

The Gist
• Patients affirmed previously described principles of professionalism and identified new principles, including helping patients advocate for themselves.
WHY THIS IS A MUST READ

The Gist
• Describes trends, current practices, barriers, and outcomes reported in podcast scholarship.
Why This is a Must Read

The Gist
• Describes strategies for bedside teaching with an emphasis on incorporation of new technologies.
Why This is a Must Read

The Gist
• Leadership skills improved among those receiving each leadership curriculum and were retained after 6 months.