A Story to Tell – Part 2

Description:

In this talk, Dr. Balmer shares insights from a 12-year longitudinal qualitative study of six aspiring doctors, from the beginning of medical school all the way into clinical practice. Her narrative nonfiction book, The Long Arc of Training: Six Stories of Aspiring Doctors, blends her own story with those of these aspiring doctors. Her work makes a compelling case for stories as teachers—calling for listening longer than a single telling, and for building caring relationships with participants who entrust us with their stories. She invites attendees to engage with story as teachers and practitioners in health care.

BIO:

Dr. Balmer’s first career was in neonatal nutrition at CHOP. Mesmerized by the clinical learning environment, she did her doctoral work at Temple University, her post-doc at Penn and then launched her faculty career at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. She returned to UPenn in 2015, and in her current role, supports faculty and trainees in their pursuit of educational scholarship. She provides direct consultation and mentorship for qualitative research methodology for projects ranging from NIH-funded research to department-funded initiatives. She supervises PhD candidates in health professions education, leads educational programs at CHOP's Collaboratory, and supports large-scale program evaluations.

Dr. Balmer’s independent research agenda focuses on identity work and career construction in health professions education. She has pioneered a longitudinal qualitative approach to research, in which she follows individuals (e.g., trainees, clinical educators) for more than a decade. Dr. Balmer has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and recently written a narrative, nonfiction book derived from her longitudinal research, The Long Arc of Training: Six Stories of Aspiring Doctors (University of Toronto Press).