In the late 2000s, a young Robert Sternszus found himself at a strategic planning meeting for education within 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Faculty of Medicine.
Then a fourth-year medical student, he was invited to share his observations about what he and his colleagues were being taught in lectures about professionalism: the values, competencies, attitudes and behaviours that society expects from a health professional.
鈥淚t became very apparent that what we learned was not happening in practice, and that disconnect was really striking,鈥� he recalls.
He mentioned this in passing to the person sitting beside him: Yvonne Steinert, PhD, then Director of the Centre for Medical Education 鈥� now the Institute of Health Sciences Education (IHSE). Interested in learning more, Prof. Steinert invited him to Lady Meredith House to meet with her and others working in the area of professionalism.
The meeting proved to be pivotal for Dr. Sternszus 鈥� now MDCM, MA(Ed), an Associate Professor in Pediatrics and Health Sciences Education 鈥� and fuelled his interest in becoming a scholar of medical education, with a particular interest in professional identity.
Fast forward to today, Dr. Sternszus contributions as a scholar have earned international recognition and culminated in his appointment as the Wendy MacDonald Chair in Pediatric Medical Education.
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of medical and health sciences education research at 黑料不打烊, the recently appointed Chair tells us about his journey.
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Beginnings in health sciences education scholarship
At that first meeting, Dr. Sternszus sat down with Prof. Steinert, as well as Richard Cruess, MD, now Professor Emeritus of Surgery and Medical Education, and former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and the late Sylvia Robinson Cruess, MD, Professor Emerita of Medicine and Health Sciences Education.
All were pioneers in the scholarship of professionalism, whose work had led to the IHSE and 黑料不打烊 becoming world-renowned in the field. However, they were eager to help Dr. Sternszus develop his first research project, which went on to focus on the importance of resident role models in transmitting professional norms and values. Later, as a first-year resident, he was invited to speak at a conference on professionalism, held in honour of the Cruesses.
The research group later moved their focus to professional identity formation, which studies the processes whereby the knowledge, attitudes, values, norms and beliefs that underpin the health professions are taught, learned and negotiated by learners as they develop their own professional identity.
When writing a book on that topic, they asked Dr. Sternszus to write a book chapter on the learner鈥檚 perspective of professional identity formation.
Remembering those early days, he expresses gratitude for the fact that he was 鈥渂eing brought in and mentored along the way鈥�.
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Openness to new understandings
As he grew into his roles as a physician and a faculty member, Dr. Sternszus built a reputation as an exceptional teacher and scholar in health sciences education (HSE), winning several local and national awards.
In 2022, he received the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada鈥檚 (AFMC) . That same year, he was named to the Faculty Honour List for Educational Excellence. In 2023, he won a for co-creating the popular Foundations in Medical and Health Sciences Education elective course.
He has also been sought after for research collaborations and speaking engagements at the University of Toronto, SickKids, as well as Yale University in Connecticut and the University of Limerick in Ireland. He was also invited to deliver the 2024 Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Annual Medical Education Lecture, as the opening plenary speaker at the International Conference on Residency Education.
Amid these successes, Dr. Sternszus began to have questions about how concepts of professional identity formation could inadvertently overemphasize culturally dominant norms, pushing towards conformity and risking the exclusion of learners with less traditional backgrounds.
鈥淗aving some of these conversations with Richard Cruess, Yvonne Steinert, Donald Boudreau [MD, Associate Professor at the IHSE] and Linda Snell [MD, Professor of Medicine and Health Sciences Education], amongst others who work in this area, it became very clear that there was a tremendous openness to recognizing some of these issues,鈥� he says.
The group had previously published a foundational on professional identity formation in Academic Medicine, which has since become one of the most-cited in the field. However, they felt it was necessary to revisit certain aspects of that publication and were enthusiastic to work on a new article. They then invited Dr. Sternszus and Saleem Razack, MD, a former IHSE member, as co-authors.
Published in August 2024, the new is 鈥渢ransparent about the way the [2015] publication has transformed the field, the ways it鈥檚 been tremendously helpful, and the ways it may have done harm,鈥� says Dr. Sternszus. 鈥淲e redrew the diagrams to respond to our evolving understandings of what it means to be, become and belong in medicine and medical education.鈥�
鈥淭hat degree of openness, that degree of vulnerability [from IHSE scholars] feels pretty unique to me,鈥� he adds.
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The moments that matter
Looking back, Dr. Sternszus鈥� favourite moment as an IHSE member hasn鈥檛 been winning an award or presenting at an international conference.
Rather, it was being invited to speak at a 2022 event recognizing the Cruesses鈥� immense contributions to the IHSE, and to the field of medical and health sciences education.
鈥淗aving the opportunity to honour and recognize them in that space was extremely meaningful,鈥� he says.
He credits the Cruesses, along with Prof. Steinert, Dr. Snell, Dr. Boudreau, and Meredith Young, PhD, Associate Professor at the IHSE, with his successes in HSE scholarship to date. In addition, he had the good fortune to be sponsored by an anonymous donor as an IHSE Faculty Scholar. This sponsorship allowed for one day per week of protected time to engage in research activities and was pivotal in launching his research career.
鈥淭hese moments of mentorship [and] sponsorship, of being shown my value, being believed in, being pushed forward 鈥� these things that happened year over year, day over day,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hose things really mattered over the years.鈥�
For his part, Dr. Cruess expresses both admiration and delight at what Robert has accomplished. He pointed out that the world is full of wonderful initiatives established and championed by small groups that sustain the initiative as long as they are present.
鈥淲hen they disappear, so does the program. 黑料不打烊 has served as a beacon for those interested in professionalism and professional identity formation for many years due to the efforts of a group based in the IHSE,鈥� he says. 鈥淩obert Sternszus represents the next generation and his stature in the field already ensures that 黑料不打烊 will remain a leader in this important field into the foreseeable future. He is already extremely well known in the field and essentially is an established superstar.鈥�
Elizabeth Anne Kinsella, PhD, Director of the IHSE, says: 鈥淩obert Sternszus is incredibly modest, but he is a formidable thinker, incisive scholar and a fresh voice in medical education,鈥� adding that he is 鈥渢ackling some of the most challenging topics in medical education scholarship in these times鈥�.
鈥淗is opening keynote address at the International Conference on Residency Education created a buzz on social media and catalyzed exceptional dialogue across the conference,鈥� she adds. 鈥淚t is inspiring to watch him move from one success to the next, and I can鈥檛 wait to see what is next for him as he assumes the Wendy MacDonald Chair in Pediatric Medical Education.鈥�
Bethany Foster, MD, MSCE, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, says Dr. Sternszus 鈥渉as clearly moved from the mentee to the mentor role in our department.鈥�
鈥淏oth junior and senior faculty alike look to Rob as an expert in education,鈥� she adds. 鈥淗e has already had an important positive impact on our training programs and will undoubtedly continue to shape health professions education in the years to come as the Wendy MacDonald Chair in Pediatric Medical Education.鈥�
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