I was recently asked by a colleague: “What are your goals for 2020?” As I began to write down the long list of possibilities and to articulate my answer, I started thinking about the question a little more deeply. What is a goal? And, do I really define myself by them?

The Harvard Macy Institute Podcast aims to connect our Harvard Macy Institute community and to develop our interest in health professions education topics and literature. Our podcast is hosted by our Program for Educators in the Health Professions course faculty Victoria Brazil, and will feature interviews with health professions education authors and their research papers.

This #MedEdPearls highlights the Ignite session that focused on the book “Make It Stick” and was facilitated by Deb Hagen Moe and Carrie Bowler at The Generalists in Medical Education - #TGME19. The session highlighted how the principles in the book have both empowered learners and faculty and led to curricular innovations within Pathology programs at the Mayo Clinic. 

As this year's Harvard Macy Program for Educators in Health Professions course drew to a close, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Harvard Macy Institute, I spent some extra time reflecting on what I learned this year, and why I keep coming back. The answer, I realized, surprised me.

I first came to the course in 2013 as a scholar. Like many others, I was in awe of the learning environment, and overwhelmed by the work. I spent long days and nights trying to keep up with the readings and assignments, and faced the humbling experience of having my project, which I had worked so hard on, get (significantly) revised by the new information I was taking in. When I left, I was physically and emotionally drained, yet I couldn't wait to come back. What was wrong with me?

In June 2019, a postcard came in the mail from my past self. At first, I was confused to receive a photo of Boston, where I live, but I recognized my own handwriting with my favorite blue super-fine pen. It was my 6-month follow-up postcard that I had written at the Harvard Macy Institute Program for Post-Graduate Trainees.