Suggested Books for Medical Educators 

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Big Doctoring in America: Profiles in Primary Care
by Fitzhugh Mullan, Samuel L. Milbank, John Moses

Comment: "'big doctors' are the unsung heroes of American medicine. Their stories -and they are great stories-tell us where we have to go to build a medical system that will work for everybody. Big Doctoring is a unique undertaking."-Studs Terkel

"At a time when both doctors and patients in record numbers abhor the shadowy mass of gloomy economics and gruesome bureaucracy that has overtaken American medicine, Mullan shows us a path out of the darkness. And his is a desperately needed map, as physicins and nurses are now quitting in droves, tens of millions of Americans are losing their health insurance, and millions more, though insured, are forbidden treatments and primary care that could save their lives. Bravo!"-Laurie Garrett

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The Bedford Murder: An Evidence-Based Clinical Mystery
by Marshall Godwin, Geoffrey Hodgetts

Comment: The Canadian College of Family Practice offers this interesting presentation of evidence-based medicine. It could be used in small group settings and would be appropriate from first & second year students probably through the first year of GME. It is fun and seems authoratative. It would not be good for one session or for a month session. It lends itself to a several month session.

Comments by Phil Slocum
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Ethics and Evidence-Based Medicine: Fallibility and Responsibility in Clinical Science
by Kenneth W. Goodman

Comment: This very good book is a critique of evidence-based medicine. It is an extremely well researched and thoughtful critique of the ethical issues raised by EBM. This works well both in more advanced levels of EBM but also in Medical Ethics. A thin book but it is very thought provoking.

Comments by Phil Slocum
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Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values, and Defining Moments Shape Leaders
by Warren G. Bennis, Robert J. Thomas

Comment: This book represents an intriguing study of two sets of outstanding leaders: the first from ages 21-35 and the second from 70-93. The authors found four common characteristics of leaders in both groups:
1. Adaptive Capacity - characterized by openness to experience and resilience
2. Ability to engage others through shared meaning - characterized by empathy and honest dialogue
3. Distinctive Voice - characterized by clear values that are lived and self testing.
4. Clear purpose and vision - characterized by a bias toward action and results

Another commonality found in leaders in both groups was that they had each experienced some kind of crucible - a life changing experience that they met head on and learned from.

The authors also found differences in that geeks were more often committed to a full life, not just a profession; more comfortable with change; ready to learn from experiential as well as traditional approaches; and ready for multiple careers. On the other hand, geezers were oriented to only a minimum number of jobs in their career, learned in traditional ways, were oriented toward a one-career family, and considered work a major part of their identity.

The book has meaningful implications for recruiting and nurturing medical students and new practitioners.

Topics: Administrative, Pedagogy

Comments by Linda Heun
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Good to Great
By Jim Collins

Comment: This book describes a five year study of eleven companies which moved from good to great when evaluated against stringent criteria which had been established by the research team. The author stated this is not a business book but rather a search for "the timeless principles of good to great". The principles are explored in detail and provide a framework for moving from good to great. The question that comes to mind is, can we move osteopathic medical education from good to great?

Comments by Douglas Wood
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Comments: This book is grounded in a clear understanding of the role of leadership in organizations. It is solid reading for anyone attempting to provide leadership for change. The writers of the individual chapters are acknowledged leaders in organizational change, faculty development, and educational quality. Key chapters include:

• A collaborative model for leading academic change by Ann Lucas
• Handling resistance to change by Sandra Cheldelin
• Monitoring and improving educational quality in the academic department by Lion Gardiner
• Giving faculty ownership of technological change in the department by Tony Bates
• Leading curriculum renewal by Ann Ferren & Kay Mussell
• The academy as learning community by Peter Senge

Comments by Linda Heun, Ph.D.
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McKeachie's Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers
By Wilbert J. McKeachie and Marilla Svinicki; with chapters by Barbara Hofer...[et.al.]

Comments: Currently published in its 12th edition, McKeachie's book is one of the definitive resources on teaching strategies, research and theory for higher education.

Comments by Daniel E. Shaw, PhD
(posted 1-14-08)
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On Q: Causing Quality in Higher Education
by Daniel Seymour

Comment: The author blends strategies for the strategic management of quality in industry with a clear understanding of the challenges of educational administration to lay out both the 'why' and 'how' of causing quality in educational institutions. Following are several of the basic principles he develops in this book:

"A college or university seeks to advance learning: strategic quality management is a structural system that creates a learning organization." (p. 29)

"A college or university operates as a collection of isolated individual parts: strategic quality management is a unifying force that advances an integrated, purposeful whole." (p. 31)

"A unifying, guiding, and distinctive vision is the foundation on which a 'house of quality' is built." (p. 60)

"Solving problems is not the answer to causing quality. The solution is understanding and continuously improving the processes that give rise to problems." (p. 75)

"Efforts to cause quality in higher education by pursuing the never-ending improvement of processes are constrained in a number of ways: (1) unwillingness to change, (2) compartmentalization, (3) competition, and (4) conformance to minimum requirements." (p. 78)

"Causing quality requires the energy, commitment, and knowledge of everyone within the organization. . .If you don't empower people for quality, a) you can lose both customers and employees; b) you encourage and reward slothfulness; c) you will become inundated with bureaucrats and policy manuals; and d) the organization becomes a collection of underachievers." (pp. 96-101)

"Causing quality in higher education involves the process of creating and maintaining an 'unshakeably' prideful administration, faculty, and staff. . . Solving problems in such a way that they don't continue to occur and exploiting opportunities is prideful; reacting to a crisis is not. " (pp. 113-121)

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Comments: Each chapter in this book is rich in lessons for medical educators. Sections cover the evolution of medical and surgical education, the art and science of medical education, and major curriculum movements. Key chapters include:

• Models of learning: implications for teaching students and residents by Glenn Regehr and Krishan Rajaratanam
• Adapting teaching to the learning environment by Gary Dunnington
• Instructional technology in medical education by Kenneth Williamson
• Medical education as a continuum by J. Roland Folse
• Effects of changing health care environment on medical education by Michael Whitcomb
• Funding and financial support for research and development in medical education by William Anderson

Comments by Linda Heun, Ph.D.
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