The PAPERs Podcast

Welcome to the special episode of our podcast, where we showcase the work of early career scholars in health professions education from around the world. This is part two of a two-part series, where we will hear from three different researchers who have been nominated by colleagues to share their projects and insights with us

In this episode, we will learn about the diverse topics and methods that these scholars are using to advance the field of health professions education. They are tackling issues such as power dynamics, assessment, feedback, professional identity, and more. We hope that their stories will inspire you to connect with them, explore their work, and pursue your own education scholarship.

Natasja Looman

Dr. Natasja Looman is a researcher at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. Her research focuses on exploring power dynamics and their impact on intraprofessional learning.

She has analyzed transcripts of observations and interviews using a critical theory paradigm and discourse analysis to inform the data. Her research found that there were five themes that described the difference in the power dynamic in intra-professional primary care learning, where there were primary care residents and specialty residents in hospital placements. These themes were beliefs, power distribution, interaction style, subjection, and fearless learning.

Beliefs refer to the assumptions and values that individuals hold about themselves, others, and the world around them. Power distribution refers to the way power is distributed among individuals in a group. Interaction style refers to the way individuals interact with each other. Subjection is when an individual withdraws and doesn’t participate because of a difference in inequity in power. Fearless learning is enabled by open interactions and leads to learning without fear.

Looman’s work highlights the importance of recognizing power dynamics within professions and the need for complementary training for followership. Physicians are leaders and followers in teams, and when they work inter-professionally, they share power with others. This means that they need to have skills not just as leaders but also as followers.

Selected articles

Looman, N., van Woezik, T., van Asselt, D., Scherpbier-de Haan, N., Fluit, C., & de Graaf, J. (2022). Exploring power dynamics and their impact on intraprofessional learning. Medical Education, 56(4), 444–455. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.14706

Looman, N., Fluit, C., van Wijngaarden, M., de Groot, E., Dielissen, P., van Asselt, D., de Graaf, J., & Scherpbier-de Haan, N. (2020). Chances for learning intraprofessional collaboration between residents in hospitals. Medical Education, 54(12), 1109–1119. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.14279

Looman, N., de Graaf, J., Thoonen, B., van Asselt, D., de Groot, E., Kramer, A., Scherpbier, N., & Fluit, C. (2022). Designing the learning of intraprofessional collaboration among medical residents. Medical Education, 56(10), 1017–1031. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.14868

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Abigail Konopasky

Abigail Konopasky is Director in Medical Education Research and Scholarship and Associate Professor of Medical Education at Giesel School of Medicine, US. She uses her training in psychology, theory, methodology, and language to study agency, authorship, diversity, and justice. Over the past 6 years, her teaching, mentorship, and publications have pushed the scholarship of medical and health professions education towards theoretical and methodological innovation and critical considerations of the field. 

Abigail Konopasky research is focused on clinical reasoning, linguistics, and narrative analysis

Her research interests include:

Clinical reasoning and context specificity: Abigail Konopasky is interested in how contextual factors, such as diagnostic suggestion, patient characteristics, and emotional cues, affect the clinical reasoning and decision making of physicians. She uses various methods, such as simulations, think-aloud protocols, and linguistic analysis, to explore the cognitive and affective processes involved in clinical reasoning. She also investigates how to mitigate the negative effects of context specificity and improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.

Narrative analysis in HPE : Konopasky has investigated how narrative analysis, a qualitative approach that examines the structure and function of language in storytelling, can be used to better understand and support health professions education. She applies narrative analysis to various topics, such as reflection, agency, identity, and culture, in medical students, residents, and faculty.

Interdisciplinary collaboration and health professions education: She has an interest in how interdisciplinary collaboration, involving scholars and practitioners from different disciplines and backgrounds, can enrich and improve health professions education. She promotes interdisciplinary collaboration as a way of fostering diversity, creativity, and quality in health professions education

Selected articles

Konopasky, A., Durning, S. J., Battista, A., Artino, A. R., Ramani, D., Haynes, Z. A., Woodard, C., & Torre, D. (2020). Challenges in mitigating context specificity in clinical reasoning: a report and reflection. Diagnosis (Berlin, Germany), 7(3), 291–297. https://doi-org.proxy.kib.ki.se/10.1515/dx-2020-0018

Artino, A. R., Jr, & Konopasky, A. (2018). The Practical Value of Educational Theory for Learning and Teaching in Graduate Medical Education. Journal of graduate medical education, 10(6), 609–613. https://doi-org.proxy.kib.ki.se/10.4300/JGME-D-18-00825.1

Konopasky, A., Durning, S. J., Artino, A. R., Ramani, D., & Battista, A. (2020). The Linguistic Effects of Context Specificity: Exploring Affect, Cognitive Processing, and Agency in Physicians’ Think-Aloud Reflections. Diagnosis (Berlin, Germany), 7(3), 273–280. https://doi-org.proxy.kib.ki.se/10.1515/dx-2019-0103

Konopasky, A., Varpio, L., & Stalmeijer, R. E. (2021). The potential of narrative analysis for HPE research: Highlighting five analytic lenses. Medical education, 55(12), 1369–1375. https://doi-org.proxy.kib.ki.se/10.1111/medu.14597

Johnson, M., & Konopasky, A. (2022). Maintaining your voice as an underrepresented minority during the peer review process: A dialogue between author and mentor. Perspectives on Medical Education, 11(3), 144–145. https://doi.org/10.1007/S40037-022-00707-X

Konopasky A, Wyatt TR, Blalock AE. (2023). Past resources, future envisioning, and present positioning: how women who are medical students at one institution draw upon temporal agency for resistance. Advances in Health Sciences Education. Jul 10:1-7.

Jenny Routh

Jenny Routh is a veterinary surgeon and a PhD researcher at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey in the UK. She has a passion for veterinary education and has explored the topic of student preparedness for workplace clinical training. She has used various methods and methodologies, including qualitative interviews, surveys, and learning theories, to develop a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities for veterinary students in the clinical setting.

In 2023, Jenny Routh won a postgraduate researcher award for her outstanding work in veterinary science. She also submitted her PhD thesis, which focused on the stakeholder perspectives on veterinary student preparedness for workplace clinical training. Her research has contributed to the advancement of the state of the art veterinary degree at the University of Surrey and has provided valuable insights for the veterinary education community.

Routh has demonstrated a remarkable ability to apply and integrate diverse research methods and methodologies in her work. She has developed a novel survey methodology of pairwise comparison and the ELO algorithm, which has been used to generate a robust knowledge base for the veterinary education community. She has also used learning theories to develop preparedness toolkits that can be used by educators in clinical contexts. Her work is a testament to her creativity, innovation, and dedication to advancing the field of veterinary education.

Another noteworthy aspect of Routh’s research is her programmatic approach to generating new knowledge and insights. She has crafted a program of research where individual pieces build on each other to generate new understandings and advance the state of the art in veterinary education. Her work on student preparedness for workplace clinical training is particularly noteworthy, as it addresses a critical gap in the literature and has implications for curriculum design, pedagogical support, and admissions criteria for veterinary schools. Routh’s research is a valuable contribution to the field of veterinary medicine and education, and we congratulate her on completing her PhD.

Selected articles

Routh, J., Paramasivam, S. J., Cockcroft, P., Nadarajah, V. D., & Jeevaratnam, K. (2022). Stakeholder perspectives on veterinary student preparedness for workplace clinical training – a qualitative study. BMC Veterinary Research, 18(1), 340. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-022-03439-6

Routh, J., Paramasivam, S. J., Cockcroft, P., Wood, S., Remnant, J., Westermann, C., Reid, A., Pawson, P., Warman, S., Nadarajah, V. D., & Jeevaratnam, K. (2023). Clinical supervisors’ and students’ perspectives on preparedness for veterinary workplace clinical training: An international study. The Veterinary record, 193(10), e3504. https://doi-org.proxy.kib.ki.se/10.1002/vetr.3504

Routh, J., Paramasivam, S. J., Cockcroft, P., Wood, S., Remnant, J., Westermann, C., Reid, A., Pawson, P., Warman, S., Nadarajah, V. D., & Jeevaratnam, K. (2023). Rating and ranking preparedness characteristics important for veterinary workplace clinical training: a novel application of pairwise comparisons and the Elo algorithm. Frontiers in medicine, 10, 1128058. https://doi-org.proxy.kib.ki.se/10.3389/fmed.2023.1128058

Routh, J., Paramasivam, S. J., Cockcroft, P., Nadarajah, V. D., & Jeevaratnam, K. (2022). Using Learning Theories to Develop a Veterinary Student Preparedness Toolkit for Workplace Clinical Training. Frontiers in veterinary science, 9, 833034. https://doi-org.proxy.kib.ki.se/10.3389/fvets.2022.833034

Get in contact with Jenny via email of view her research here