Alan Schwartz
Current Appointments
Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Department of Paediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University.
Senior Scientist, Centre for Education Research & Innovation, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University.
Western Research Chair in Medical Education and Medical Decision Making
Educational Background
JD, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law
PhD, Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
MS, Business Administration, University of California, Berkeley
BA, Cognitive Science and Women’s Studies, University of California, Berkeley
Why Medical Education and Decision Making?
I have always been interested in how people think, learn, and choose. During my doctoral studies in the psychology of judgment and decision making, I discovered that my passion was not only for understanding but real-world application. Decisions about health are among the most consequential people face, and judgments about the performance of health care professionals (which we call “assessment”) are critical to supporting health and wellness. These decisions and outcomes are shaped by the social, cultural, organizational, and legal contexts in which we live.
How do you think about scholarship?
I am a research pragmatist, and believe that any research question can be answered—but only partially and tentatively—using a variety of methodological approaches. But as a matter of taste, I find experimental and quantitative methods particularly appealing. I believe the most effective scholarship is collaborative, involving not only teams of investigators but extending across multiple sites and settings, and I direct an educational research network that includes hundreds of U.S. Paediatrics postgraduate programs. I also think that scholarship should serve social ends and advance justice. Philosophically, I flit between post-positivist, experientialist, and social constructivist epistemologies.
What is Your Approach to Mentorship?
The essence of mentorship is human connection for professional and personal development. In all my teaching, I try to foster the conditions under which adults learn best: respect for their professional and educational achievements; opportunities for self-reflection; peer discussion; and practical application leading to the appreciation of theoretical knowledge. One mentor, however, is not all things to each mentee. As a primary mentor, I have always emphasized to my mentees the importance of a team approach to mentoring, and have helped them identify additional secondary mentors for their teams that can provide complementary expertise to mine.
Key Research Questions
- How can we make physicians and other health care professionals better at identifying and integrating clinical-relevant patient life context into care plans?
- How can we assess the preparation of Paediatricians and other physicians for providing safe, effective, and socially-valued care?
- How can we build infrastructure that supports collaborative research and data sharing in health professions education?
- How can we help patients make health decisions better aligned with their values, preferences, and life goals?
Keywords
Decision Making; Assessment; Paediatrics; Contextual Care; Law; Research Methods
