“Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.”
- Bill Nye
We’re so pleased with how this community has grown. There are now more than 1,600 members in this network! To facilitate meaningful professional connections and peer-to-peer learning—and to get to know each other better—we have launched this Member Spotlight series.
May we introduce you? If you are willing to be featured here, reach out to Stephanie Weiner (that’s me!) here via the community direct messaging feature.
Member Spotlight: 3 Minutes with @Max Anderson
Director of Instructional Design and Learning Innovation
University of Illinois College of Medicine
Do you have an area of expertise that might be of interest to your peers in this community? Are you the “go-to” person at your institution for a particular subject?
Many of our faculty, staff, and students think I work in traditional “IT” or information technology. I know enough about IT to be helpful to most people, which is probably why they tend to come to me for help. However, my PhD is in the “other” IT – instructional technology. I manage our learning management system for the college, so I am considered the expert there. I also oversee our use of Osmosis and related tools, so I am the first point of contact for them. My background is in instructional design and librarianship. With that blend of talents, I find myself as a unique resource in our college as someone who can give guidance on library resources as well as our instructional design needs. I have many years of delivering workshops and classes online, using various platforms. While medicine is pretty much taught mainly in person, the COVID pandemic shifted us and everyone else online overnight. I’ve done a lot of work with our stakeholders to ensure they understand how to effectively use synchronous platforms and how to create community in them as well.
What’s the biggest misconception people have about your position?
I think a lot of people simply are not familiar with ‘instructional design,’ so it sometimes takes a short elevator speech to orient them to it. People tend to think I’m an engineer of some sort or that I am a graphic designer. People also think I’m in IT, so people sometimes contact me before they contact the IT Help Desk for the college. At the same time, I do acknowledge and appreciate the confidence people have in my abilities.
What do you think is the best, most challenging, or most unique thing about working in academic medicine?
The most challenging thing at our school is having multiple campuses. It seems to be a constant struggle to make sure all our campuses are ‘on the same page.’ I have become close with many of our faculty and staff over the years, so it’s sort of become like a family. That is one of the best things about working in academic medicine. People who do not work in academic medicine but work in other academic areas are usually surprised that our semesters start so early, the curriculum doesn’t always follow a standard semester, there can be numerous faculty involved in each course versus courses like English where you likely have one main professor for the entire semester.
What’s the best piece of professional advice you have ever received? Why?
I think more recently, the best advice I have received is to not write long emails but rather include short, succinct sentences in bullet point format because people are busy, and no one wants to read a long email.
What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten?
Tripoux – small bundles of sheep intestines or stomach stuffed with sheep’s feet. No thank you. I’ll pass.
You’re throwing a dinner party and can invite 3 people (alive or dead). Who do you invite?
- Peter Gabriel Gautama
- Buddha
- Robert Downey, Jr.
How did you maintain your wellness and resilience during the pandemic? Any tips to share with others?
I enjoy going on long bike rides – still need to find some good places to bike here in Miami. Last summer in Chicago, at the height of the pandemic, I was able to take long bike rides 3-4 times a week. It restored my mental health from reading the news and all the chaos around work and life during COVID.
What do you hope to gain from this online community?
I have already gained so much. I was excited when the AAMC GIR was willing to take on an Instructional Design Community pilot a few years ago. In my background as a medical librarian, I was used to ‘medlibs’ being so connected in social media. The ID Community and now the virtual communities have allowed all of us to keep conversations going and to share knowledge with each other. In librarianship, we really try to not have to duplicate efforts; if another organization has a great idea, they are usually willing to share with others. This is what I appreciate about this online community – opportunities to share!
Next time you “see” Max around the community ask him (in French) about his unusual career path, about the worst professional advice he ever received (yikes!), or where to find good Italian food in Chicago.
#MemberSpotlight
------------------------------
Stephanie Weiner
Director, Digital Strategy & Engagement
Association of American Medical Colleges
------------------------------