Dear colleagues,

Upon hearing the news of my upcoming retirement, someone asked me to reflect on the future of health professions education for this Academic Affairs newsletter. I was hesitant. I do not have a crystal ball. Most of my predications have been proven wrong. I don’t know what my own future holds, let alone the future of something so big and complex as higher education for health professionals. As I thought about the request, however, I looked back to a Wisconsin Medical Journal (WMJ) commentary I wrote about 10 years ago with our former dean, Dr. Robert N. Golden, about the importance of embracing innovation in medical education where he allowed me to riff on a list of words that started with the letter “I.”

It seemed like a good opportunity for me to reconsider those thoughts as we engage in ongoing quality improvement and innovation across Academic Affairs during a time of transitions and transformations impacting higher education, health care, and public health. I elected to reshape some of those thoughts with a refreshed perspective for today, in hopes that some ideas might resonate with you and, perhaps, help guide us as we navigate a changing landscape that demands new ideas and approaches to nurture the growth of the future generation of physicians, health professionals, and public health leaders and providers.

The challenges before us are undeniably large. The rising workforce shortages, growing costs of complex health care needs and delivery systems, increasing behavioral health imperatives, persisting health inequities across rural and urban communities, and advancing scientific discoveries and technologies (including the ethical integration of artificial intelligence into education, community, and clinical settings), amid many others, seem like daunting challenges to me, even on my most optimistic of days. There are also different needs of our largely Gen Z learners who are seeking more affordable and individualized high-quality educational experiences – experiences that are flexible, meaningful, and responsive to their unique interests and career goals – within settings that nurture their personal well-being and provide more support for their professional development.

These challenges also bring extraordinary opportunities. They inspire us to reimagine what we teach and how we teach it, as well as how we learn, collaborate, and serve in meaningful and rewarding ways. As we look to this future of ongoing improvement and innovation, we increasingly recognize that it must be done in collaborative, high-performing functional teams that are guided by a shared vision and values, aligned with strategic priorities, and driven by the needs of patients and populations that are always in the forefront of our minds.  While there is no “I” in team, I think once again reflecting and riffing on a set of ten guiding principles that begin with the letter “I” may help us embrace the spirit of ongoing improvement and innovation in health professions education (beyond the seemingly never-ending realities of addressing accreditation requirements) as we continue revitalization efforts in Academic Affairs. These are the guiding “I” word principles that I believe are critical for the future of health professions education. We must strive to be:

1. Innovative: Being innovative in education is not about simply introducing new technologies or curricular content. It includes creating new educational models, new partnerships, and new ways of thinking. It is about creating robust and nimble learning environments that prepare our graduates to lead, adapt, and thrive in evolving health care and public health ecosystems. It is about inspiring them to make a positive impact in communities where they will work for the people they will serve; giving them the tools for lifelong learning to become critical thinkers and creative problem solvers who will become the change agents that shape the future in better ways; helping them dissect and embrace scientific evidence while learning to accept uncertainty; and, cultivating their compassion and caring in ways that bring hope and foster human flourishing. It is about us creating the best for them. Whether through competency-based education, simulation, artificial intelligence, community engagement, or novel approaches to assessment, being innovative helps ensure that our programs remain responsive to the changing needs of patients and society.
2. Interdisciplinary: The health challenges that our communities face do not exist in disciplinary silos. Nor should the education we deliver.  Our commitment to building interdisciplinary education opportunities − integrating biomedical science, clinical care, public health, population health, behavioral health, and social drivers of health throughout educational experiences − is essential. Connecting knowledge across domains in meaningful ways better prepares learners to address complex patient and community needs with broader perspectives, stronger partnerships, and more effective strategies.
3. Interprofessional: Good health outcomes require excellent team-based health approaches. Preparing learners to collaborate effectively across professions is required for preventing disease, improving patient outcomes, reducing adverse outcomes, advancing safety, delivering high-quality care, promoting healthy lifestyles, and optimizing health. Our efforts to strengthen opportunities for learners, staff, and faculty from diverse health professions to learn with, from, and about one another will prepare them to contribute to high-performing teams. We are fortunate to have the Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, the Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership, and Clinical Simulation programs to help shape our interprofessional education environment.
4. Immersive: The most meaningful and memorable learning with enduring lessons often occurs through experiential hands-on activities in real-world settings. Immersive clinical, community, simulation, and service-learning opportunities enable our learners to develop critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills while building their confidence and professional identity. These authentic experiences bridge the gaps between theory and practice to build needed skills and expertise.
5. Individualized: Today’s learners value educational experiences that are individualized to their experiences and aspirations, and the educational activities we offer are in turn strengthened when we embrace the wide variety of talents, interests and perspectives of our learners. We need to consider how we expand opportunities for individualized learning, scholarly exploration, leadership development, research, global engagement, rural health, urban health, and other areas in sustainable ways that allow learners to pursue their passions while developing as professionals.
6. Inquisitive: The accelerating pace of scientific discovery and technological change requires that we graduate professionals who are curious, adaptable, and committed to lifelong learning. We must intentionally strive to cultivate inquiry, critical analysis, evidence-based decision-making, ethical approaches, and the ability to thoughtfully evaluate emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and digital health innovations.
7. Inclusive: Excellence in education and excellence in health care depend upon fully inclusive learning environments. We need to remain committed to welcoming individuals from a range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We must foster a culture and provide support where every learner we admit can thrive. Through education, service, and partnership, we will continue to prepare graduates who are equipped to recognize and address inequities and improve health outcomes for all communities in Wisconsin and beyond.
8. Integrity driven: Public trust remains one of the most valuable, as well as vulnerable, assets of health professions. In this era that is characterized by rapidly evolving information, social media isolation, artificial intelligence reliance, contradictions, miscommunications and misunderstandings, and growing complexities, we must be, and ensure that our learners are, grounded in professionalism, ethical leadership, accountability, humility, honesty, and compassion. These values remain foundational to patient-centered care, population-focused approaches, and professional excellence.
9. Inspiring: Educational excellence requires more than curricula, competencies, and co-curricular activities. It requires building a culture of curiosity that inspires purpose, resilience, and joy in learning. We need to create environments where learners, faculty, and staff feel valued, supported, and empowered to make meaningful contributions. We need to foster a community where questions are encouraged, risk-taking is supported, failures become springboards for growth, and ideas ignite opportunities.

And importantly…

10. Impactful: Ultimately, the measure of educational success is not what happens in our classrooms, clinics, or laboratories. It is the impact our graduates have on the health and well-being of the individuals, families, and communities they serve. Our goal is to prepare health professionals who will lead positive changes, advance discovery, improve care, advocate for public health, and strengthen the health of our society. The positive impact of our education, support, mentoring, and advising will help them impact others in a multitude of meaningful ways beyond what any one of us can do alone.

As we navigate both challenges and opportunities in health professions education into the future, our collective intentional commitment to continuous improvement and thoughtful innovation, (perhaps as shaped by other “I” words above and other words you reflect on) will create a positive future for our health professions learners. They will, in turn, create positive futures for our patients and populations.  While I have learned that I cannot reliably predict the future of anything with accuracy, I truly believe that if we collectively embrace the Wisconsin Idea, stay true to our mission, vision, and values, and remain grounded in a deep sense of shared responsibility to the individuals and communities we serve, we will continue to positively shape health professions education into the future in ways that prepare our learners to address public health problems and shape health care systems today and tomorrow.

– Elizabeth M. Petty, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs