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Shinu Kuriakose, DHSc, PA-C, associate professor at the School of Health Professions at New York Institute of Technology, said his time with the prestigious was a “fantastic opportunity.”

“I’m very grateful to have received ���㽶��Ƶ support to participate in this program. I think it has made me a better educator,” he said.

The program covered curriculum mapping, engaging students via interactive approaches, utilizing evidence-based methods to engage learners in case study formats, helping students teach each other, and focusing on the individual learning styles that may help serve them better.  

Instructors reinforced that teaching is more than standing at a podium and using a slide deck. An educator talks with students, responds to feedback, encourages interaction, and teaches what students need to know in a critical thinking manner, not just guiding them through what they need to know to pass a specific test.

Some of the work at Harvard Macy helped the fellows improve their skills at networking so they could reach out to colleagues and learn more about the best practices employed at various schools, enhance their curriculum design, and better engage their students.

“After the pandemic when everything was virtual, a lot of times a whole year went by where students were either hybrid or were just at home participating by Zoom, so these lessons helped us look at how to re-engage students,” he said.

During the one-year fellowship, in which participants are called Harvard Scholars, the program also looked at future issues, for example  how the use of technology, especially AI, will affect the medical profession.

“All of this information should guide PA educators on best practices in PA education and hopefully will lead to better teaching, pass rates, and better clinicians,” he said.

Kuriakose had been a PA for 22 years at the time he received the scholarship. He said there were especially strong benefits for people who had experience in their profession.

 “Once you have a few years under your belt, there are certain concepts that are really helpful when you’re more experienced. For instance, we talked about the tenure process, initiating research studies, or moving up the ladder in education,” he said.

Kuriakose said he would encourage anyone who feels they are ready for what the Harvard Macy program has to offer to consider applying for the annual ���㽶��Ƶ scholarship in 2025 or see if their program has its own funding mechanism for professional development.

This year, Kristy Goodman, MS, MPH, PA-C, principal faculty at the PA program at Southern California University of Health Sciences, is the recipient of the scholarship for the program.