Educating for Adaptive Expertise: a Harvard Macy podcast

In this episode, Vic speaks with Martin Pusic, Bill Cutrer and Elissa Hall about their article - Educating for adaptive expertise: case examples along the medical education continuum.

What do we mean by ‘adaptive expertise’? Our discussion starts with some definitions and examples: “routine procedural approaches, plus creative innovative ones, when the situation calls for it”. This capacity is critical in a healthcare environment brimming with complexity.

How do we educate for adaptive expertise? Our guests suggested 4 instructional strategies: developing deep conceptual understanding, exposure to meaningful variation, emphasis on productive struggle and discovery, and “metacognitive strategizing”, and drew upon the Master Adaptive Learner conceptual model.

We worked through the practicalities of this kind of education in the undergraduate, postgraduate (Emergency Medicine) and continuing professional development (CPD) educational contexts. This is not easy! Our guests explained how they have worked through various barriers and constraints to realise the opportunities for fostering adaptive expertise in our healthcare professionals

Happy listening!