Breaking New Ground Ep 5

Women in Science@LKCMedicine Podcast Breaking New Ground Ep 5 Listen on SoundCloud

Women in Science @ LKCMedicine Podcast

Professor Jennifer Cleland, Vice Dean (Education) of LKCMedicine: Breaking New Ground Ep 5

Host: Prof Christine Wong

Synopsis: In this episode, we are privileged to host Professor Jennifer Cleland on her insights on medical education. 

Prof Cleland is Vice Dean for Education, Director of Medical Education Research & Scholarship Unit (MERSU), President's Chair in Medical Education, and Professor of Medical Education Research, at Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine. Prof Cleland oversees the development, delivery and evaluation of our MBBS programme. She is also an active researcher in Science of Learning and Health Service Research, with interdisciplinarity projects looking into social processes during team-based learning, influences on medical careers decision-making, and optimising selection and assessment systems and processes, just to name a few.

Prof Cleland has published over 200 academic papers and is a globally recognized researcher, educator, mentor, and collaborator. Recently, Prof Cleland won the Ian Hart Award for Innovation in Medical Education, one of the three major international prizes in the field, celebrating her dedication to medical education research and capacity building for over 20 years.

Highlights of conversation:

02:01 – I know that you are a psychologist by training. What sparked your interest in medical education and healthcare-related research? What was your path to it?

05:53 – Could you give us a snapshot of your current exciting research projects?

09:57 – When I was a kid, teaching was rather like a one-direction process in which teachers taught us what they knew with reference from the textbooks. In this information-rich and technology-intense era nowadays, teaching and learning are no doubt different from the past. How important is it for medical or healthcare education strategies to evolve actively across time, sometimes also to respond to unprecedented challenges like COVID-19?

16:27 – Have you identified yourself as a role model during your career path? What drives your tenacity in research and medical education? 

21:59 – Before joining LKCMedicine as the Vice Dean for Education, you held several prominent leadership roles, such as Director of the Centre for Healthcare Education Research and Innovation at University of Aberdeen, UK. With your vast experience, how do you view the role of females in senior leadership? What are the joy and challenges of this role? How do you overcome the hurdles?

27:17 – Could you share with us some advice on time management? Between numerous administrative roles and research commitments, how do you efficiently master your time amongst these hats that you wear, as well as for life and family?

31:22 – Finally what is your advice to our audience in order to succeed in research and education? Are there any must-dos or must-have qualities to succeed?