Tomorrow’s Educators and Clinicians in Healthcare (TEACH) is a four-year extensive curriculum which incorporates didactics, experiential learning, mentorship, and leadership to cultivate and develop proficiencies that will lead to a successful career in academic radiology with a focus on clinical education.
Enrolled residents kick off their didactics by attending the two week-long Medical Education Leadership Track (MELT), an immersive course covering topics from adult learning theory to effective lecturing to creating a professional social media presence, hosted by the Penn Internal Medicine Residency Program. Additional TEACH track didactics include monthly small group lunch lectures and workshops.
Experiential learning involves an individually tailored combination of practicums (TEACH resident-created and/or executed educational projects such as lectures, online modules, and oral/poster presentations) and workstation teaching sessions (small radiology topic reviews created by the TEACH residents and given to junior residents in the reading room), culminating in a capstone project.
Each TEACH resident will have a faculty mentor to meet with regularly throughout their experience. During the last year of radiology residency, TEACH residents serve as mentors to junior TEACH residents. Throughout their four years of training, TEACH residents also serve as co-leaders of multiple residency educational programs, encouraging application of their curriculum development skills and creativity.
Ways to engage with TEACH
- Many TEACH meetings are open to all Penn Radiology Residents!
- If residents want to officially join the track, they will be assigned a track mentor to help them complete a capstone project of their choosing. Successful completion of the capstone will earn a certificate upon graduation
Competency goals for TEACH graduates
- Creating and delivering a lecture to adult learners
- Workstation teaching
- Giving feedback
- Providing mentorship
- Engaging in educational writing or curriculum
Curriculum overview
Track members will have the opportunity to:
- Participate in a 10-day Intro to MedEd Bootcamp ideally in their R2 year hosted by the Penn Internal Medicine Department
- Participate in a 10-day Senior MedEd Bootcamp ideally in their R4 year
- Attend monthly residency Program Education Meetings in their R4 year
Past small group sessions
TEACH track residents and faculty meet monthly for small group sessions (“monthly didactic sessions”). These small group sessions are a combination of interactive didactics/workshops on a range of medical education topics (see list below), workstation teaching practice by a TEACH member with subsequent feedback from the group, and other TEACH project brainstorming, updates, and presentations.
Topics of prior Small Group Sessions Include:
- Adult Learning Theory
- Creating Content for Adult Learners
- How to Give an Effective Presentation
- Leading a Small Group
- Feedback & Creating an Effective Learning Environment
- MedEd Curriculum Development
- How to Write a Great Multiple Choice Question
- How to write a MedEd Abstract
- Educational Research
- How to Write a Letter of Recommendation
Hear from current TEACH members
Jason Yuan, MD — Class of 2028
"As a medical student, my attendings had an enormous influence on my path to residency and my primary academic interest is medical education, so the TEACH track was a perfect opportunity to hone my own skills as a mentor and educator. I'm excited to participate in the combination of longitudinal mentorship, unique didactics, and plentiful teaching opportunities!"
John (Jack) Karp, MD — Class of 2027
"Something that began early in medical school that I continue to love is teaching. The TEACH track is a vibrant group of like-minded individuals who are both trainees and experts in the field of Medical Education. I fall under the trainee side and am so excited to learn from and collaborate with my colleagues and mentors throughout my radiology residency!"
Sarah Berg, MD — Class of 2026
"I’m excited to be joining the Penn Radiology TEACH track. Medical education has always been an interest of mine and I’m looking forward to further strengthening my skills as a clinician educator. TEACH provides such a unique opportunity to do just that through longitudinal mentorship and collaboration. Can’t wait to get started!"
Nicole Curnes, MD — Class of 2026
"TEACH will allow me to improve my teaching skills through the combination of didactics, practicums, and mentorship. It is an incredibly unique opportunity to practice my skills with co-residents focused on education and be supported with top-notch mentorship for any educational endeavors or projects."
Noah Wasserman, MD — Class of 2025
"Teaching was one of the main reasons I got into radiology in the first place, so what better opportunity to hone my teaching skills than TEACH track?"
Maeva Nyandjo, MD — Class of 2024
"Through TEACH, I have been able to engage in teaching sessions with graduate students on and off campus, and my own junior co-residents through involvement in the ED Readiness Course."
Meng (Cathy) Hao, MD — Class of 2023
"TEACH has enriched my radiology training with networking opportunities, mentor–mentee relationships, unique curriculum, and exciting educational projects. It has left me with skills I know I will incorporate throughout my career as a physician educator."
Neil Chatterjee, MD, PhD — Class of 2023
"I love to teach and TEACH lets me do it and helps me do it better."
Ali Dhanaliwala, MD, PhD — Class of 2023
"I’ve always struggled with sit-still slide deck lectures. TEACH gave me the 10,000-foot view to help me understand how to make real changes in medical education."
Daniel DePietro, MD
"The TEACH program provided amazing opportunities to work with motivated individuals interested in medical education. My experience allowed me to build teaching skills, learn new educational strategies, identify mentors, and set myself up for an academic career. My involvement led me to apply for the Measey Medical Education Fellowship at Penn, which I am now enjoying. TEACH was truly one of the highlights of my training. "
Sophia O’Brien, MD — Class of 2021
Co-founder and first graduate of TEACH. Now Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging | Breast Imaging, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
"I am so proud of what we have created. TEACH supports your passion in medical education but also does so much more. The faculty, co-residents, and curriculum push you to learn new skills, think in new ways, and grow leaps and bounds beyond what you imagined. Now as an attending, I can confirm that my TEACH experiences provided a strong foundation and practical skills for an academic radiology environment."