Academic Medicine Open Forum

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3 Minutes with Mark Stephens

By Brandy Cooper posted 10-29-2024 11:13:03 AM

  

Member Spotlight

Come say hello and get to know Mark Stephens (He/Him/His)! We're excited to highlight his valuable contributions this month! 

MARK STEPHENS, MD (He/Him/His) 

Associate Dean

Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine

 

Why do you think engaging in the AAMC Virtual Community is important? 

Collaboration across institutions and enterprises opens doors for new growth, knowledge, and warmth (something the world needs more of). 

 

Do you have a professional skill or area of expertise that might be of particular interest to your peers in this community? 

Veterans Health 

The use of creative art (particularly mask making) to explore professional identity development (particularly during times of struggle, stress, and transition). 

 

Are you the “go-to” person at your institution for advice or expertise in a particular area? 

Passionate about art and medical education. I'd love to have a coalition of educator/artists interested in using the creative arts to help explore/curate healthy identity curation in an iterative/developmental way. 

 

What should people in the virtual community contact you about? 

Passionate about art and medical education. I'd love to have a coalition of educator/artists interested in using the creative arts to help explore/curate healthy identity curation in an iterative/developmental way. 

 

What was the best book you most recently read (or TV show/movie) that you watched? 

Annika – British crime dramas are my kryptonite. 

 

What’s the best piece of professional advice you have ever received? Why? 

You control two things—your attitude and your effort. I lean on this in tough times. 

 

What’s the worst piece of professional advice you have ever received? Why? 

Stay late—you don't want to miss any good cases. I missed some great after-school activities before I figured it out. 

 

What do you think is the best, most challenging, or most unique thing about working in academic medicine (or your field or specialty specifically)? 

Being a part of student success is an extraordinary privilege. Nothing better in the professional sphere. 

 

What do you hope to gain from this online community? 

New friends and collaborators. I trust there are folks with similar interests out there and hope that we can connect. 

 

Did you have an unusual path to your current career? Tell us about it. 

Liberal arts major as an undergrad (wouldn't trade it for the world). Master's in Human Performance (to get science requirements for med school applications). Joined the Navy to help pay for medical school. This led to almost 3 decades of an extraordinary opportunity to truly Learn, Serve, Lead. No greater professional honor than to don the uniform and care for those serving our country. Retired and found peace in Happy Valley as a clinician-educator (now administrator) looking to make a dent in the rural health crisis facing our Commonwealth (and country). 

 

Thinking about all conferences, workshops, webinars you have attended in the last few years, was there a speaker or session topic that stands out as your favorite? Who? Why? 

Brian Reamy (Senior Executive Dean at the Uniformed Services University). He has an amazing ability to teach you something without you even realizing it. His ability to thoughtfully engage an audience with academic rigor is a skill. 

 

How do you prefer to start your day? 

After a cup of coffee to watch the sunrise with my wife, I like to take a ride on my bike. This combination wakes the body, mind, spirit, and soul. 

 

How do you prefer to end your day? 

Meditating. Offering gratitude for the things (good and bad) that were presented as gifts during the day helps ease the body, mind, spirit, and soul. 

 

What’s the biggest misconception people have about your position? 

We are a very small regional campus. Most people don't know that my position exists. I see this as an opportunity to spread the word about the amazing students, faculty, and staff that we have here in rural PA. 

 

You’re throwing a dinner party and can invite 3 people (alive or dead). Who do you invite? 

  • Ghandi 

  • MLK 

  • Margaret Mead 

 

How did you maintain your wellness and resilience during the pandemic? Any tips to share with others? 

Fuel, Burn, Recover. Try to eat right, exercise, and sleep. 

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

A basketball player. Dream was to hit the winning bucket in the Olympics. Used to play that scenario out in my backyard over and over as a kid. 

 

What do you do to turn things around when you’re having a bad day? 

Breathe. Take a walk. I always have a private "go to" place (that no one knows about) where I can take 5 to regroup in silence. 

 

If you could only have three apps on your smartphone, which would you pick? 

  • NYT Games 

  • ESPN 

  • All Trails 

 

What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten? 

Haggis 

 

Do you have pets? 

No 

What drew you to work in medical education curriculum? What aspect of your curriculum work do you enjoy the most, and why? 

UME has been a passion for years. Teaching is something that comes as a legacy (parents). 

 

Is there a mentor or person you particularly looked up to, who has inspired and shaped your career? How so? 

Jeannette South-Paul. The epitome of grace and compassion. 

 

Thinking about our collective scholarly knowledge of medical education curriculum, what research question do you wish the field could address? 

Very interested in art-museum-based education. 

 

What curriculum projects are you currently working on, and what curriculum projects are currently happening at your school? 

Expanding rural health curriculum. America needs the help in this space. 

 

What aspect, approach, or topic in your school’s curriculum are you most proud of or excited about, and why? 

Curriculum revision. LCME inspection. Expanding curricular offerings in AI, leadership, policy, rural health, and sustainability. 

 

How has your role in curriculum evolved, given COVID-19? 

If not you, who? 

 

Looking ahead, what are you most hopeful about, or most looking forward to in the next year? 

Civility 

 

What’s one thing, either medical education-related or not, you learned in the past month? 

Myself. 

 

What’s one word you’d like to see being used more often? 

Civility 

 

If given a chance, who would you like to be for a day? 

Myself. 

 

What’s the oddest job you ever had? 

Short order cook at Pedro's. 

 

Three words to best describe you: 

Teach, Love, Play 

#MemberSpotlight

 

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