While planning for her upcoming work with medical students and residents who rotate in rural communities around Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, Dr. Kathleen Timme thought there has to be an easier way to reach this remote population of learners. She was soon inspired to create podcasts and video segments to provide conveniently accessible teaching materials. Through these mediums, Dr. Timme brings stories of clinician educators serving in these areas to light in accessible and convenient formats. She does this with the help of the Tree of Hippocrates Education Studio (THE Studio) at the Eccles Health Sciences Library.
To showcase her important work and highlight a new podcast she created, Teaching in Medicine, we asked Dr. Timme a few questions about her work, what inspired her to create the podcast, and how she utilizes THE Studio to accomplish her project goals.
#1. Tell us a little about yourself and your work.
I’m Kathleen Timme, an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of Utah. I attended the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine, followed by pediatrics residency and endocrine fellowship at Yale. I am pursuing a Master’s Degree in Education through the University of Cincinnati. My research interest is in training physicians how to effectively teach. I joined the University of Utah faculty in 2018 and serves as Director of Educational Development for the Graduate Medical Education Committee and Co-Director of the Students-as-Teachers pathway. I currently work on an asynchronous trainee-as-teacher program for the Rural Underserved Utah Training Experience (RUUTE) and create material to supplement resident-as-teacher programs throughout the University.
#2. What was the inspiration for the Teaching in Medicine Podcast?
While planning for my upcoming work with medical students and residents who rotate in rural communities around Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, I thought there has to be an easier way to reach this remote population of learners. In order to reach a remote audience, I began to consider audio and video content for learners to access while away from the academic hub. I love to listen to podcasts while driving and exercising and thought that this would be a good way to bring brief lessons to learners that can be accessed at their convenience. I was also inspired by Dr. Benjamin Chan’s podcast Talking Admissions and Med Student Life in that it brings to life the stories of medical students and how they ended up in medical school. I similarly want to capture the stories of clinician-educators and how they ended up in medical education.
NOTE: The Tree of Hippocrates Education Studio has retired as of April 1, 2023
#3. How did you learn about the Tree of Hippocrates Education Studio?
I often walk back and forth from the hospital to the medical school for various meetings and have walked past THE Studio many times. When I decided to make a podcast, I knew that I would need a quiet recording space and access to equipment and remembered seeing THE Studio in the library. I looked on the library website and saw that it was equipped with all of the software and hardware necessary for podcast recording, plus plenty of online resources and videos to make the process less intimidating.
#4. How has the Tree of Hippocrates Education Studio helped you accomplish your project goals?
I could not have started this podcast without THE Studio, both the physical space and the people who help support these endeavors. I am not technologically savvy by nature nor do I have a budget to purchase my own recording equipment. The online resources through the library website helped me to learn more about podcast recording, the various software, editing, etc. THE Studio provides everything necessary to do the recording and editing. And the individuals who field questions, help support new projects, and make sure that everything is set up correctly are invaluable. It turned this intimidating idea of starting a podcast from a hope to a reality.
#5. Where do you hope to see the Teaching in Medicine Podcast go in the future?
I hope that the Teaching In Medicine podcast becomes a place where medical students, trainees, and clinician-educators alike can learn about the art of teaching as a healthcare provider. I hope that students and trainees can find inspiration in the “Meet The Educator” episodes and my goals is that we all improve our teaching skills through careful exploration of pedagogy, teaching approaches, and review of the literature on medical education.
If anyone is interested in being a guest on the show or has further questions, they can contact Kathleen at teachinginmedicinepodcast@gmail.com. They can also like us on Facebook and subscribe anywhere they get podcasts: anchor.fm/teachinginmedicine. New episodes come out every other Monday.
