Dr. Sainer, Program Director of UofL's online Master of Science in Health Professions Education, shares how the program brings together physicians, nurses, dentists, sonographers, and other clinicians who discover they face many of the same teaching challenges across fields. A recurring theme is professional identity formation, that moment when a provider begins to see themselves not only as a clinician but as an educator, described by one learner as becoming a surgeon who educates.
The conversation digs into practical learning science, from writing learning objectives that focus on what the learner can do to building low-stakes retrieval practice that helps ease test anxiety. Dr. Sainer also opens up about AI in health professions education, including tools already appearing in clinical settings, the risk of accepting the first answer without thinking it through, and why her program has moved toward oral exams and away from written papers.
Host Connor McGowiack and Dr. Sainer discuss why human connection, trust, and psychological safety still matter, and how the right tools might free clinicians to spend more time with patients rather than paperwork. They also preview a forthcoming graduate certificate focused on using AI tools in education, plus the Faculty Feed podcast used within courses.
If you are a clinician weighing what comes next, or an educator rethinking how you teach, press play to hear why Dr. Sainer believes the hard work of learning is exactly the point. Links to the program, the referenced blog post, and Faculty Feed are in the episode description.