Building on Geisel School of Medicine’s rich tradition of educational excellence, the Department of Medical Education and the Office of Educational Affairs have re-envisioned the Geisel Academy of Master Educators (GAME).
The new Academy of Educators and Scholars supports and recognizes excellence in teaching for interdisciplinary educators and scholars at all career stages—fully aligning with the school’s commitment to excellence in teaching and scholarship in medicine and health sciences education across all of Geisel’s health professions degree programs, affiliated institutions, and academic partners.
Established in 2012 and sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Medical Education, GAME’s primary purpose was to create an honorific community celebrating the accomplishments of elected faculty engaged in medical education.
With re-thinking GAME in mind, David Mullins, PhD, then associate dean for basic science integration, and Kelly Kiefer, MD, MS, vice chair for education in the Department of Medicine at Dartmouth Health, convened a working group in Summer 2022 to explore what could be done to enhance honorific programming. They found developing teaching skills and helping medical educators to improve and expand those skills was missing.
“Their work laid the foundation for the mission of the revitalized academy, which is to support the delivery of outstanding health sciences and medical education at Geisel,” says Sonia Nagy Chimienti, MD, FIDSA, professor of medicine and dean of educational affairs.
Core Mission
Academy of Educators and Scholars co-directors, Abigail Konopasky, PhD, director of medical education research and scholarship, an associate professor of medical education and researcher, and Thomas Thesen, PhD, an associate professor of medical education and course director for neuroscience and neurology in the MD program, lead the new academy, providing resources, instruction, and support for skill building in teaching, innovation in curricular design and delivery, and educational scholarship.
Membership in the Academy of Educators and Scholars is accessible to all Geisel educators and its clinical partners. While excellence in education is still celebrated and recognized, membership is no longer solely honorific nor dependent on faculty votes—a tiered structure membership opportunities range from participants to distinguished educators, each with defined expectations and benefits that promote ongoing engagement and leadership within the Academy.
Konopasky says Geisel’s membership in the Academies Collaborative, a national organization championing similar organizations that “develop and recognize educators’ excellence in the health professions” played an important role developing the medical school’s new academy. Attending annual meetings and aligning with other directors in the organization’s network, she notes, gave her a sense of how other institutions academies in various stages of development are structured.
Geisel’s Academy Advisory Board, of which Kiefer is an active member, was also an important part of the re-envisioning process, as were staff and faculty representatives in various career stages with a variety of teaching experiences.
Mentorship and Professional Development
The Academy’s carefully curated programming includes hands-on Teaching Bootcamps for early-career educators, residents, and trainees as well as for faculty members seeking to refine their educational practices. The bootcamps equip educators with essential teaching skills, curriculum development techniques, and peer mentorship.
"The Teaching Bootcamp is a key part of our mission, offering practical training and promoting a supportive community of educators who are dedicated to continuous learning and excellence in teaching,” says Thesen, who taught at the first bootcamp earlier this year.
Mentorship and professional development are also offered across experience levels to help educators grow in their roles and develop scholarship in medical education.
Nicole J. Borges, PhD, chair of the Department of Medical Education and the Edward Tulloh Krumm Professor of Medical Education, says, “We are building a broad community of academic excellence that will produce the best physicians, public health professionals, and health scientists possible. That’s what we are excited about.”
“Core to the mission of the academy is the recognition of excellence in teaching across disciplines, professions, educational programs, and academic rank,” Chimienti says. “Geisel’s academy is built on the vision that everyone within this community of educators has something to offer, something to learn, and something to be recognized for.
“We are grateful for the thoughtful work of the members of GAME, the academy’s advisory board, and our co-directors to re-envision the academy—this is something that the Geisel community can be proud of. While the academy is still young, I believe that we have a strong and sustainable structure as we move forward.”
For more information about the Academy of Educators and Scholars, visit: https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/academy/
