Tell us a bit about yourself, your background, and your goals/specialty.
I am a teacher by trade – my bachelor’s degree is in Music Education, and prior to attending medical school, I was a middle and high school teacher for 5 years! I have always loved the art of teaching – there is something magical about taking a complex topic and breaking it down into more manageable pieces, then seeing the light in people’s eyes when they finally “get it”. As I moved into medical school, I realized that my years as a teacher had helped me develop a talent for synthesizing information and teaching myself, and when I got involved in the peer learning coach program at the School of Medicine, I quickly found that the hours I spent on peer tutoring and teaching were often the best parts of my week.
I am applying to residency right now and am most excited to continue to make teaching a part of my practice in residency and beyond, whether that be teaching medical students, residents, or patients. We can always use more educators in medicine, and I hope that my own love of teaching will also help me to inspire other physicians to embrace the joy of teaching as I progress throughout my career.
What inspired you to lead the clerkship review series?
I mentored several students in the classes below me through the Peer Learning Coach program, and as my students transitioned into their clinical years, many of them approached me with questions about how to effectively study during their busy days on the wards. I had developed an approach for myself that was successful, and I wanted to create sessions where I could teach those strategies to the next group of students.
It's my hope that the resources I’ve created will live on and be useful to future generations of students at the School of Medicine after I transition to residency next summer.
Innovative Teaching Strategies
Have you implemented any creative teaching methods, activities, or tools? If so, describe them.
I advocate for a focus on active learning and encourage students to adopt study strategies that require them to ask and respond to questions directly as they engage with material. I created a series of Shelf Exam review sessions to help 3rd year students effectively utilize the NBME Practice Exam resource. I review the entire 50-question practice exam and make extensive notes ahead of time, so that I can answer student questions and help them to appreciate the specific clinical signs, exam findings, and nuances in the questions that help to differentiate one disease from another. I also developed a framework that I teach in the sessions for students to use each question as a “jumping off” point for further study – I have found that this framework pushes students to learn about disease, diagnosis, and treatment options holistically, rather than simply focusing on the “right” or “wrong” answer for individual practice questions.
I’ve created a number of creative teaching tools over the past few years. Some of my favorites have been a deck of Harry Potter-themed flash cards to study the Personality Disorders, and a color-coordinated flash card deck to review the pediatric vaccination schedule. I’ve also created a number of [powerpoints] and resources for students about how to utilize specific resources, such as the UWorld question bank or NBME practice exams.
sample learning resources developed by Hannah Adams for her peers
Walk us through a typical session. What are the key aspects you focus on?
For the shelf exam reviews, I ask a lot of the students before the session even starts! I strongly advise them to independently take the 50-question practice exam timed, on their own. They then make note of any specific questions or concepts that they found unclear or confusing and bring those questions to the session for discussion. I find that students are able to ask more critical questions and take more from the session when they have had a chance to try to figure out the answer on their own.
During the session itself, we warm up with a few questions that I’ve selected from the exam. Typically, these questions are either particularly challenging questions, concepts that are frequently tested, or questions that integrate material from a number of different disciplines. After that, I open things up to the students and we go over any questions that they found particularly difficult. I encourage students to use resources like textbooks and UpToDate to look information up during the session. Ultimately, the goal is to provide students a framework for how they can use the NBME practice exams to expand their own knowledge independently, so I focus on asking them questions. There are usually between 2-6 practice exams for each of the 3rd year rotations, so I intend for students to take what they learn from my session and use that approach to review the other practice exams independently.
Memorable Teaching Moments
What are some of the most rewarding moments you've had as a student teacher? How have you seen your students grow?
There are a number of students that I have tutored 1-on-1 since they started at the School of Medicine, many of whom initially found their way to me because they were studying. It has been an incredible privilege to watch them grow as scholars and future physicians, and to see their self confidence and self-belief blossom. It was particularly special watching some of the students I work with take and pass their Step 1 exam, which was a huge and scary obstacle for many of them. They were so excited to start their 3rd year and actually get into the hospitals!
There was also a student who attended my first clerkship review session who reached out afterwards to say that the session changed their whole approach to studying during the 3rd year, and that the session had given them confidence to trust in their own learning style and adjust their methods to suit their needs. Students who have attended the review sessions reported increased confidence and motivation, which is immensely gratifying to me.
Words of Wisdom
What words of advice and/or encouragement would you give to other medical students who are interested in teaching?
I remember being a 1st year teacher and feeling incredibly overwhelmed by the immense responsibility of teaching other people, and I would encourage others not to let that fear get the better of you. Teaching is an art, and we all get better at it the more we do it, so just dive in and try something. The best part about teaching is that if something doesn’t go exactly the way you want it to, you can always adjust your approach and try again.
My other piece of advice is to listen to students: ask what they already know and what they want to learn, and then teach them that. If you don’t know much about it, learn together. Above all, take every possible opportunity to teach, whether that be to a peer, a younger student, or a patient. Medical education is exciting and will make you a better learner!
Hannah Adams