Pritzker News
Medical students flock to Dean Humphrey’s class
“The class allows for a lot of interaction with Dr. Humphrey, which has been an invaluable experience.”
Holly J. Humphrey, above left, MD’83, dean for medical education, started teaching Pritzker Morning Report in 2009. The course, which simulates resident rounds for fourth-year students, has been expanded to offer more sessions because it is so popular.
BY ANNA MADRZYK
H
olly J. Humphrey, MD’83, is nationally recognized as a leader and innovator in medical educa-
tion. So it should be no surprise that when Humphrey teaches a class at the Pritzker School of Medicine, seats fill quickly. Humphrey, dean for medical education, leads the Pritzker Morning Report, a twoweek course that simulates resident rounds and helps prepare fourth-year students for case-based learning. Pritzker Morning Report started in 2009, and was offered once a year. But the course has become so popular and Humphrey enjoys teaching it so much that PMR was expanded to three sessions for 2011-12. Students in the course learn how to present a clinical case in a morning reportstyle, problem-solving format.
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The sessions are moderated by the Pritzker Chiefs, fourth-year students selected by their peers to serve as class presidents and school leaders, with Dean Humphrey providing expert opinion on the cases. Manuel Diaz, MD’12, Grace Lee, MD’12, and Geoffrey Stetson, MD’12, were the 2011-12 chiefs. “The class allows for a lot of interaction with Dr. Humphrey, which has been an invaluable experience,” Lee said. “Her ability to encourage us to think critically in front of our peers is what distinguishes her as an outstanding educator. “We learned so much from every case with her. Whether it was the historical context of a disease, how to read a chest X-ray or how to systematically think of a differential diagnosis, Dr. Humphrey demonstrated time and again how a master clinician and educator operates. She patiently and expertly imparted a wealth
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES DIVISION
of knowledge and problem-solving skills to the class.” The Morning Report course was offered in September, January and March to fourth-year students. But Humphrey and the chiefs wanted to give younger students an opportunity to learn from senior medical students, so the January session was open to second-year students for the first time. Humphrey is the winner of numerous teaching awards. She was twice honored by Pritzker students with the Hilger Perry Jenkins Teaching Award, which recognizes the most outstanding teaching and patient care. Graduating students have honored her 19 times as one of their favorite faculty-teachers. “She is thoughtful, humorous, approachable and inspiring, which is why the class has been so popular and successful,” Lee said.