Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Institute for the Transformation of Medical Education

Coaching for Character Caring & Competence

The Kern Institute at MCW recognizes the great potential of learning communities in facilitating the development of character, caring and competence in medical education. The Coaching for Character, Caring and Competence (4C) Program is structured around the core concept of learning communities - consistent groups of students and faculty in a longitudinal relationship to cultivate personal and professional growth. 

4C: Coaching for Character, Caring & Competence

4C Coaching Program

The striking advancement of medicine in the last few decades has brought increasing challenges to medical education. Specifically, medical students now must demonstrate competency in expanding skills and knowledge domains in a clinical learning environment that faces greater complexity, time constraints, and financial pressures than ever before. The challenges generated by such circumstances can have numerous consequences, including burnout and mental illness in both learners and teachers. To better support students and reduce these potential problems, many medical schools have implemented learning communities (LCs). LCs were first developed on undergraduate campuses to foster professional growth of students with similar academic interests. LCs partner faculty members with groups of students for the duration of medical school and utilize these longitudinal groups for community-building, academic support, professional development, and curricular activities. Studies of LCs have demonstrated substantial improvements in faculty engagement, student well-being, and professional development.

The Kern Institute at MCW recognized the great potential of LCs to facilitate the development of character, caring, and competence in medical education. After exploration of LC-related components and features with Kern National Network partners and MCW students and faculty, the Coaching for Character, Caring, and Competence (4C) program was launched in August 2019. 4C is structured around the core concept of LCs – consistent groups of students and faculty in a longitudinal relationship to cultivate personal and professional growth. Within this framework, multiple different components can be implemented to meet specific objectives (Figure 1). Roughly 50 students volunteered for the program during AY2019-2020. With its initial launch, 4C centered on longitudinal coaching, but in subsequent years, near-peer mentorship and curricular activities will be piloted as well. Throughout its progression, 4C will retain its innovative focus on character and caring, while it works to enhance student progression toward and achievement of competency across multiple domains.

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4C Faculty Coaches

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Kurt Pfeifer, MD

Member, Student and Clinical Learning Environment Pillars, Kern Institute

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Marty Muntz, MD

Member, Community & Institutional Engagement Pillar, Kern Institute

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Meredith A. Albrecht, MD, PhD

Associate Professor

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Jed Calata, MD, FACS, FASCRS

Assistant Professor

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Beth A. Damitz, MD

Professor

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Christopher S. Davis, MD, MPH

Member, Faculty and Community & Institutional Engagement Pillar, Kern Institute

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Marc Anthony de Moya, MD

Chief, Professor

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M. Chris Decker, MD

Member, Human-Centered Design Lab, Kern Institute

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Sara M. Dunbar, DO

Assistant Professor; Associate Program Director for Internal Medicine Residency; Section of Hospital Associate Chief; Residency Associate Program Director; APP Oversight Medical Director

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Elizabeth Ellinas, MD

Member, Faculty and Cross Pillars, Kern Institute

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Cassie Ferguson, MD

Associate Director, Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Institute for the Transformation of Medical Education; Director, Student Pillar, Kern Institute

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Jose Franco, MD

Director, Cross Pillar, Kern Institute

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Mary Ann Gilligan, MD, MPH

Member, Faculty and Clinical Learning Environment Pillars, Kern Institute

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Todd M. Gudausky, MD

Associate Professor

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Marc A. O. Gunderson, MD

Assistant Professor

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Alexandra Harrington, MD, MT (ASCP)

Member, Faculty Pillar, Kern Institute

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Alisa Hayes, MD, MSAM

Associate Professor; Vice Chair for Education and Training

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John R. Hayes, DO

Assistant Professor

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Emily Joachim, MD

Assistant Professor

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Douglas Levine, MD

Assistant Professor

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Tracey H. Liljestrom, MD

Assistant Professor

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Jane Machi, MD

Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Member, Student Pillar, Kern Institute

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Karen J. Marcdante, MD

Director, Human-Centered Design Lab, Kern Institute

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David S. Marks, MD, MBA

Professor of Medicine and Radiology, Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, Froedtert Hospital Senior Medical Director - Inpatient

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Vanessa McFadden, MD, PhD

Associate Chief, Assistant Professor

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Wendy Peltier, MD

Member, Faculty Pillar, Kern Institute

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Kris Harlander Saudek, MD

Associate Professor

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Bipin Thapa, MD, MS, FACP

Assistant Dean of Education, General Internal Medicine; Assistant Dean of Clinical Curriculum, School of Medicine; Faculty, Kern Institute for Transformation of Medical Education

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Chad Wenzel, MD, FACP

Assistant Professor

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Chelsea Willie, MD

Associate Professor

Near-Peer Coaches and Mentors 

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Near-Peer Coaches
Miles Babb
Manar Mohammad
Caitlin Pook
Garrett Berger
Mario Castellanos
Liz Jilek
Matt Stagl
Ellen Arndt
Ethan Homedi
Julia Frebault
Katherine Lukas
Jon Katz
Megan Orr
Ryan Hanson
Amanda (Mandy) Nelson
Katherine Lumetta
Emily Hendrickson
Peter Nguyen
Nicole Rademacher
Ethan Kelly
Kaitlyn (Kaitie) McQuade
Truman Landowski
Justin Laridaen
Miranda Brown
Kevin Pinney
Taylor Williams
Emily Fahl