March 2026
Cover Theme: Medical Education

This special double issue of the WMJ focuses on medical education. Featuring original research, editorial content and artwork from more than 225 health professionals, researchers, learners and artists, the issue explores teaching and learning innovations, professional identity and well-being, equity and pathways, and faculty development and lifelong learning.
Download a complete PDF of the issue. Click here to view the WMJ archive.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
In This Issue
- Educating the Healers of Tomorrow: Lessons From Innovation, Empathy, and Equity
Fahad Aziz, MD; Leila Famouri, MD, MPH; Bipin Thapa, MD, MS, Tripti Singh, MD; Corlin Jewell, MD; Alisa Hayes, MD; Anna Gaddy, MD; David Rebedew, MD; Andrew Coyle, MD
Editorials
- The Evolution of Medical Education Into a Robust Academic Discipline
Corlin Jewell, MD; Alisa Hayes, MD - The Mythology of Competence in Medical Education
Bryan Johnston, MD; Jahanvi Kothari, DO
Section 1: TEACHIING AND LEARNING INNOVATIONS
Original Research
- Standardizing the Educational Experience of Medical Students Rotating With the Orthopedic Department Regardless of Subspecialty Assignment
Quinn Steiner, MD; Alex Lasinski, BS; Pamela Lang, MD; Lindsey Boyke, MD - Assessment of the Educational Value of Mock Oral Competency Exams for Surgical Intern
Christina Georgeades, MD; Robert Treat, PhD; Michael Amendola, MD, MEHP; Jacob Peschman, MD; MSPE, Philip Redlich, MD, PhD; Michael J. Malinowski, MD, MEHP - Perspectives of OB-GYN Residents and Faculty on Resident Simulation Curricula: A Mixed-Methods Study
Monet Lane, MD; Morgan Briggs, MD; Christine Pando, MD; Susan Duyar-Ayerdi, MD, MA; Kristina Kaljo, PhD; Kathryn Dielentheis, MD - Confidence and Efficiency Improvements in Medical Student Notes After Implementation of a Standardized Note Template
Michael Houghan, MD; Jennifer Passini, MD; Fauzia Hollnagel, MPH; Laura Zakowski, MD - Integrating Behavioral Health Into Cancer Education: Learner Perspectives From a Cancer Education Pathway Program
Nadia Tabit, BA; Zynab Adewusi, BS; Kristina Kaljo, PhD; Abbey Kruper, PsyD, ABPP; Kristin Dowe, PhD - An Initial Evaluation of a Peer Mentorship Program in a Medical School Clinician Educator Scholarly Concentration
Zack Gratz, BS; Chase Caswell, BS; Alexa Kambol, MS; Quinn Anderson, BS; Amanda Jentsch, BA; Nawara Abufares, MS; Sean Mackman, MD; Kelsey Ryan, MD - Ready for the Aging Population? A Student Perspective Needs Assessment of Geriatric Education Among Graduating Physician Assistant Students
Kelsey Henriquez, MPAS, PA-C; Jonathon Leja, MD - ‘In Our Era…’: Feedback Perceptions Across Generational Cohorts
Maria Skorey, MD; Kelsey Ryan, MD; David Lambert, MD; Kris Saudek, MD - Building Research Foundations in Medical Students: Impact of a Scholarly Concentration Program on Longitudinal Research Development at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Vera Tsenkova, PhD; Elizabeth Petty, MD
Review
- Simulation in Medical Education: History, Applications, and Effectiveness
Jeffery Northway, MS; Emily Patula, BS; Kaydon Morgan, BS; Farzana Hoque, MD, MRCP
Brief Reports
- The Impact and Description of a Training Program With a Novel Landmark Device for Needle Thoracostomy
Justin T. Chu, MA; Thomas Engel, MD, MPH; Matthew Chinn, MD; Benjamin W. Weston, MD, MPH - Teaching Ambulatory Obstetrics and Gynecology With a Novel Case-Based Podcast Curriculum
Bridget Kelly, MD; Emily Buttigieg, MD; Fei Cai, MD; R. Nicholas Burns, MD; B. Star Hampton, MD - ChatClinic in Pharmacy Education: AI-Simulated Renal Cases for Enhanced Clinical Learning
Nathan Wolfrath, MD; Nathaniel B. Verhagen, MD; Shefali N. Bhatt, BS; Eric Elftmann, BS; Caleb Tomlin, BS; Kaitlyn Nimmer, BA; Anastasia Boutris, BS; Zachary Pape, PharmD; Rachel Kavanaugh, PharmD; Anai N. Kothari, MD, MS; Bonnie LaTourette, PharmD - Perceptions of Academic Hospitalists Regarding Rounding Methods
Chidinma O. Ikonte, BS; Mohamed T. Abdelrahim, MD, MA; Akorfa Adobor, BS; Philisha Mesidor, MS; Nhung H. Tran, BS; Sanjay Bhandari, MD; Pinky Jha, MD - Students’ Perspectives on the Impact of Scholarly Projects on Residency Applications
Mohamed T. Abdelrahim, MD, MA; Salma A. Sheriff, BS; Sarah F. Farhan, MA; Diaa M. Shammout, BS; Lyiba S. Malik, MS; Rayba Shaw, BA; Egal Warsame, BS; Sanjay Bhandari, MD; Pinky Jha, MD - Teaching Systems-Based Practice Through a Resident-Led Quality Review in the Department of Emergency Medicine
Elyse Hartleben, MD; Kathleen Williams, MD; Nancy Jacobson, MD - Co-Creation: Piloting Student-Faculty Partnerships for Curriculum Innovation
Zack Gratz, BS; Alexa Kambol, MMP; Priscilla Vazquez, BS; Cameron Otto, BS; Hunter D’Acquisto, BS; Benjamin Bray, BS; Lauren Parsons, MD; Teresa Patitucci, PhD - By the Students, for the Students: Operation Conversation Enhances Preclinical Students’ Confidence in Challenging Communication Skills
Anika Agrawal, BA; Allison Dentice, BA; April Zehm, MD
Commentaries
- Integrating Medicine and Public Health Through Health Professions Education at a School of Medicine and Public Health
Parvathy Pillai, MD, MPH; Wajiha Akhtar, PhD, MPH; Stephen Bagwell, MA; Laura E. Birkeland, MS, CGC; James H. Conway, MD; Amanda DeVoss, MMS, PA-C; Maureen S. Durkin, PhD, DrPH; Ann Evensen, MD; Kjersti Knox, MD; Thomas Hahn, MD; Jeff Hartman, DPT, MPH; Joel Hill, MPAS, PA-C; Joseph P. Holt, MD; Kenneth MacMillan; Roberta Rusch, MPH; Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, MD, MPH; Christine Seibert, MD; Ajay K. Sethi, PhD; Shelly F. Shaw, MPH; Sweta Shrestha, MPH; Jennifer Timm, DNP, RN, PHN; Susan Wenker, PT, PhD, MS; Patrick L. Remington, MD, MPH; Elizabeth M. Petty, MD; Jonathan L. Temte, MD, PhD - Considering ‘Big Questions’ About the Human Being in Medical Education
Victoria Toledo, BS; Raudah Yunus, DrPH; Lauren Nickel, PhD; Fabrice Jotterand, PhD, MA; Aasim I. Padela, MD, MSc - When AI Scribes Join the Team: The Effects of Ambient and Generative Documentation in the Clinical Learning Environment
McKenna Knych, MD; Thaddeus Schmitt, MD; Michael Sobin, MD; Alisa Hayes, MD - Wisconsin Statewide General Surgery Residency Mock Oral Virtual Examinations
Jacqueline J. Blank, MD; Joshua C. Dilday, DO - Utilization of a Resident-as-Educator Model in Pathology: Unique Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations
Alex P. Tannenbaum, MD; Mary Adenhamm, MD; Matthew R. Contreras, MD; Erin G. Brooks, MD
Section 2: PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY AND WELL-BEING
Original Research
- Assessment of Well-being Differences by Gender in Medical Students at a Midwest Public University-Based Medical School
Eden F. Charles; MD; Shirene Singh, MS; Takondwa Mwasi, MA, MS; Elizabeth A. Felton, MD, PhD; Terrill Taylor Jr, BS; Elizabeth M. Petty, MD - Are You My Mentor? Pediatric Residents’ Conceptualization of Mentoring and Mentoring Relationships
Rory Bade, MD; Daniel Sklansky, MD; Megan Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH; Jesse Boyett Anderson, MD, MS
Brief Reports
- Got SPIRiT?: Evaluating a Supportive Approach to Medical Resident Remediation
Lashika Yogendran, MD, MS; A. Ildiko Martonffy, MD; William Michael, MD; Jane Alice Evered, PhD, RN; Rachel Grob, MA, PhD; Karina Atwell, MD, MPH; Julia Yates, MSSW, LCSW; Jennifer White; Kacia Stevenson, MS; Thomas W. Hahn, MD - The Role of Clinical Empathy as Perceived by Medical Students
Niki Viradia, MS; Jesica Miroslava Godinez Paredes, MS; Grace Tews, BA; Riley M. McCarty, BS; Katherine Loper, BS; Sanjay Bhandari, MD; Pinky Jha, MD, MPH
As I See It
Section 3: EQUITY AND PATHWAYS
Original Research
- University of Wisconsin’s Outcomes From the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine Track: A Pathway to Rural Primary and Specialty Care
Zoe Stratman, BS; Kenneth MacMillan, BM; Elizabeth M. Petty, MD; Christine S. Seibert, MD; Paul Hunter, MD; Byron Crouse, MD; Kimberly Lansing, MD, PhD; Julie Foertsch PhD; Joseph Holt, MD - Gender and Racial Differences in Thematic Content of Personal Statements of Family Medicine Residency Applicants
Milap Dubal, MD, MPH, MSCHI - Transformative Impact: Advancing Resident Competence and Confidence in Gender-Affirming Care Through a Multimodal Transgender Health Curriculum
Abbey Knickerbocker, MD; Nathan R. Jones, PhD; Kristina Kaljo, PhD; Laura Hanks, MD - Portrayal of Medical Students in Artificial Intelligence-Generated Images
Molinna Bui, BS; Paul H. Yi, MD; Ifeanyichukwu Onuh, BS; Ian Kuckelman, MD; Andrew B. Ross, MD, MPH
Brief Reports
- Health Professional School Enrollment Following Participation in the Rural and Urban Community Health Scholars Pathway Program (RUSCH)
Yer Lee, BA; Keegan J. Reilly, MD; Ryan E. Tsuchida, MD; Vera K. Tsenkova, PhD; Elizabeth Bush, MS, MA; Matthew C. Walsh, MPH, PhD; Elizabeth M. Petty, MD - The Physician’s Duty to Care for Others: Resistance Against Evidence-Based Gender-Affirming Care Among Physician Trainees
Tess I. Jewell, MD, MPH; Kharmen Bharucha, MD; Kristina Kaljo, PhD; Laura Hanks, MD - Bearing Witness to Suffering and Social Justice: A Novel Multimodal Medical Humanities Course That Cultivates Compassionate Health Care
Jessica C. Babal, MD; Liana Eskola, DO; Elizabeth A. Fleming, MD; Rory Bade, MD; Meinkeng Acha-Morfaw, MD; Jens Eickhoff, PhD; Nicole Nelson, PhD
Historical Perspective
- ‘The Play’s the Thing’ Among Other Innovations: The Establishment of the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Medical Humanities Program and Its Incorporation of Medical Humanities Into Medical Education
Arthur R. Derse, MD, JD
Commentary
- Advancing Health Through the Medical Education of Black Physicians: Compelling Contributions From Alumni of a Midwest Medical School
Eden F. Charles, MD; Sarah Brown Rothschild, BA; Elizabeth M. Petty, MD
Section 4: FACULTY DEVELOPMENT AND LIFELONG LEARNING
Original Research
- ‘How Do I Get There From Here?’ Discerning Pathways for Successful Faculty Promotion in Education at a Medical School
Laura J. Zakowski, MD; Amy Zelenski, PhD; Anne Stahr, PhD - Incentives and Barriers for Early Career Faculty Participation in Medical Student Education: Perceptions of Clinical Faculty From a Midwestern Public Medical School
Aurora Resop, BS; Anne Stahr, PhD; Lindsey Christianson, MPH; Elizabeth M. Petty, MD - Identifying Faculty Development Needs of Basic Science and Clinical Faculty in Preparation for Curriculum Change
Caitlin Hoffman, MD, MPH; Lana M. Minshew, PhD, MEd; Abdalrahman Ahmed, MD; Karen Marcdante, MD - Perceptions of Point-of-Care Ultrasound Among Internal Medicine Residents and Faculty
Aaron Byczynski, DO; Ryan Powers, MD; Bailey Ray, MD; Brandon Watson, MD - Curriculum for Planners of Accredited Interprofessional Continuing Education for Health Care Professionals: Results of a Modified Delphi Process
Marianna Shershneva, MD, PhD; Barbara Anderson, MS; Kimberly Sprecker, PhD - Framing Primary Care Clinicians’ Experiences Managing Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: Insights From an Educational Intervention
Tammi Albrecht, DNP; Tamara J. LeCaire, MS, PhD; Molly Schroeder, CSW; Jonathan Stone, MD; Uriel Paniagua, MPH; Sylvia Peng, BS; Jennifer Landeta Vidal, MPH; Stephanie Houston, MBA; Sarina Schrager, MD, MS; Cynthia M. Carlsson, MD, MS; Art Walaszek, MD
Brief Reports
- Educating Health Science Educators: A Flexible, Asynchronous E-Learning Framework for Interprofessional Development in Teaching
Anne Stahr, MS, PhD; Sara K. Johnson, MD; Aeron Adams, DNP, PMHNP-BC; Beth Altschafl, PhD; Amanda K. DeVoss, MMS, PA-C; Sushant Srinivasan, MD; Jessica Tischendorf, MD, MS; Amy Zelenksi, PhD; Art Walaszek, MD - Three-Year Outcomes of a Longitudinal Department of Medicine Fellow as Medical Educator Training Program Pilot
Jessica Tischendorf, MD, MS; Christine Sharkey, MD; Kara Westmas, MS; Amy B. Zelenski, PhD; Fauzia Hollnagel, MPH; Elizabeth Chapman, MD - Empowering Birth Workers to Address Maternal Hypertension: Evaluation of a Community-Based Training in Wisconsin
Kristine Alaniz, PhD, MPH; Kristina Kaljo, PhD; Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD
Commentary
- ACGME Mandated Scholarship: Process and Product – A Proposed Process to Maximize Trainee Experience
Amanda M. Jentsch, BA; Alexandra C. Istl, MD, MPH; Tammy L. Kindel, MD, PhD; Jacob R. Peschman, MD, MSPE
Thank you to our Medical Education Issue Advisory Board
Fahad Aziz, MD, MBA, CPE, FASN, WMJ Editor-in-Chief
Flesch Family Faculty Fellow
Associate Professor of Medicine (CHS)
Division Head, Nephrology
Program Director Nephrology Fellowship Program
Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine
University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine and Public Health
Andrew D. Calvin, MD, MPH
Consultant, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine
Chair of Education, Mayo Clinic Health System
Associate Dean – Accreditation and Compliance, Mayo Clinic School of
Continuous Professional Development
Associate Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Trevor Cooper, MD, MPH, MPP
Preventive Medicine Chief Resident Physician, PGY-3
UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Andrew Coyle, MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Associate Professor (CHS), Department of Medicine
UW School of Medicine and Public Health
M. Leila Famouri, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor (CHS), Division of General Internal Medicine
Department of Medicine
Director, Health Equity Pathway
Internal Medicine Residency Program
UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Anna Gaddy, MD, FASN, FNKF
Associate Professor, Nephrology
Internal Medicine Clerkship Director
Medical College of Wisconsin
Alisa Hayes, MD, MSAM
Associate Professor
Department of Emergency Medicine
Vice Chair of Education & Training
Director of Undergraduate Medical Education
Medical College of Wisconsin
Mike Houghan, MD
Assistant Professor (CHS), Department of Medicine
UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Corlin Jewell, MD
Director, Medical Student Education
Undergraduate Medical Education
Fellowship Director
Partner Longitudinal Teaching Coach (SMPH)
Assistant Professor (CHS)
BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine
UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Tess Jewell, MD, MPH
PL1 Resident, Physician-Scientist Training Pathway
Department of Pediatrics
UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Bryan Johnston, MD
Family & Addiction Medicine Physician
Associate Professor of Family & Community Medicine
Family Medicine Clerkship Director
Core Faculty, North Side FM Residency Program
Medical College of Wisconsin
Jahanvi Patel Kothari, DO, FAAFP
Assistant Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin
Director of Medical Student Education – Department of Family and Community Medicine
Medical Director, Assistant Program Director – Froedtert & MCW South Side Family Medicine Residency
David Rebedew, MD, FAAFP, DABOM, CMD
Clinical Adjunct
UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Patrick Remington, MD, MPH, FACPM
Professor Emeritus, Preventive Medicine Residency Program, Department of Population Health Sciences
UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Jean Marie Riquelme, MD, FAAFP
Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Christie Seibert, MD, MACP
Associate Dean for Medical Student Education and Services
Professor of Medicine
UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Bipin Thapa, MD, MS, FACP
Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine
MCWFusion Curriculum Phase 2 Director
Assistant Dean for Clinical Science
Curriculum, School of Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin
Tripti Singh, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine (CHS)
Medical Director, Acute Inpatient Dialysis Unit, Lupus Nephritis Clinic, UW Health
UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Amy Zelenski, PhD
Associate Professor, General Internal Medicine
UW School of Medicine and Public Health