DOM Blog: Eight COM-T faculty — including seven from DOM — earn medical education ACT Certificates

Eight University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson faculty members — seven from the Department of Medicine and one from the Department of Pediatrics — successfully completed the year-long Academy of Clinicians as Teachers (ACT) Certificate Program. 

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This program is a collaborative effort involving Michigan State University’s Office of Medical Education, Research and Development, Stacey Pylman, PhD, from the MSU College of Human Medicine’s Office of Continuing Education and me, Breanna Sherrow-Serrano, PhD, in the Department of Medicine Vice Chair of Education Office at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson.

Throughout the program, participants collaborated with clinician educators and program facilitators — Dr. Pylman from Michigan State and Dr. Sherrow-Serrano from the U of A — to strengthen their teaching skills and confidence in medical education. The curriculum featured six 1.5-hour online group sessions covering topics such as learning environments, high-level questioning, transparent thinking, formative feedback, action research and the one-minute preceptor model.

To prepare for each session, participants were required to either apply previously taught material in their teaching practice or complete an asynchronous pre-work module. The program culminated in each faculty member completing an action research project on a topic of their choice. This capstone experience included individualized coaching sessions and concluded with a poster presentation showcasing their work. Each faculty member received a certificate of completion for the program and could earn up to 13 continuing medical education, or CME, credits.

ACT Certificate Program graduates for 2024-25 and their Action Research Project titles (by division & department): 

The Academy of Clinicians as Teachers is a great way to learn what other faculty members are doing at our institution in the education space. It was very helpful to get a sense of how they teach and give feedback to students, residents and fellows. The Michigan State University collaboration also is helpful to gain more perspective on how another institution operates. It improved my feedback skills and taught me new techniques to use with our fellows. The capstone assignment is also a gateway to putting together a project that could potentially help the program we’re associated with. I would recommend this program to all junior faculty.

                   — Akshay Amaraneni, MD

■ Akshay Amaraneni, MD (Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine) 
Title: “Virtual Board Review Pre-Testing and Post-Testing”

■ Monica Hinestroza Jordan, MD (Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine)
Topic: “What are the Effects of Using a Theoretical Framework for Diagnostic Reasoning with Learners on New Consults”

Being part of this program was an incredibly valuable experience this early in my career. It provided practical tools and evidence-based strategies that I could immediately apply in my clinical teaching. Sessions on giving feedback, fostering learner engagement and creating psychologically safe environments were especially impactful.

What stood out most was the sense of community. Being surrounded by passionate educators at various stages of their careers was inspiring and motivating. I appreciated the opportunity to reflect on my teaching style and clarify the kind of educator I want to become.

This program has strengthened my confidence and given me a solid foundation to continue growing as a clinician-educator. I’m excited to keep building on these skills and contributing to the learning environment in meaningful ways.

                    — Monica Hinestroza Jordan, MD

■ D. Alex Perry, MD, MPH (Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine) 
Topic: “Traditional vs. Case-Based Mini-Didactics – Perceptions by Learners”

■ Talha Riaz, MD (Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine)
Topic: “Thinking Out Loud”

■ Kendal Flegenheimer, MD (Division of Inpatient Medicine, Department of Medicine) 
Topic: “Improving Feedback Quality with the R2C2 (relationship building, exploring reactions to feedback and understanding of feedback content, and coaching for performance change) Model on Wards”

■ Dalia Mikhael, MD (Division of Inpatient Medicine, Department of Medicine) 
Title: “Using the SPIKES Model of Delivering Bad News to Help Give Learners Difficult Feedback”

A wonderful opportunity to innovate and enhance our skills as educators and share ideas and collaborate with colleagues who are passionate about medical education.

                   — Dalia Mikhael, MD

■ Madhav Chopra, MD (Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine) 
Topic: “Bronchoscopic Guided Percutaneous Tracheostomy Simulation”

■ Christina Marie Vega Zarraga, MD (Department of Pediatrics) 
Topic: “SNAPPS-ing Our Way to Learning in the Pediatric Ambulatory Setting”
 

Applications accepted until Aug. 1 for 2025-26 ACT Certificate Cohort

This program will run again from September 2025 through May 2026 with six select faculty members. It’s open to core faculty, associate program directors, and newly appointed program directors (less than three years in your role) in the Department of Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson.

Please see flyer for further information and how to apply — by no later than Aug. 1, 2025. If you have any questions, reach out to ACT Program facilitator, Breanna Sherrow-Serrano, PhD, bsherrow@arizona.edu.

As Dr. Sherrow-Serrano is no longer an instructor in the Department of Pediatrics as of July 1, the program currently is open to DOM faculty only.

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About the Author: Breanna Sherrow-Serrano, PhD, is the director of the Faculty Development and Teaching Excellence Program in the Department of Medicine’s Vice Chair of Education Office at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, as well as co-director of the Clinical Education Pathway Track in the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson’s Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson, also in the DOM. A Wildcat for life, she earned her bachelor’s degree in educational psychology in 2009, her master’s degree in educational psychology in 2012, and her doctorate in special education in 2015 — all from the U of A. Before joining the DOM in 2023, she served as senior learning specialist for the College of Medicine – Tucson’s Graduate Medical Education Office and was a lecturer in the college’s Department of Pediatrics and an adjunct faculty member in special education at Pima Community College. She also has worked in Undergraduate Medical Education as a learning specialist where she advised medical students for their pre-clinical years, clerkship exams and board exams. Prior to that, she served as an assistant professor at New Mexico State University teaching reading and pre-service/in-service teachers in special education.