Patrick Gannon

Background

About Patrick Gannon

As a funded translational scientist / educator across PreME, UME, GME and CME in the Department of Otolaryngology at Mount Sinai Medical School I directed basic and clinical science research and on the origins of brain language areas, their functions and disorders, I collaborated on clinical projects ranging from tracheal transplantation, chemical senses post 911 World Trade Center Disaster, physiology and pathology of the middle ear and paranasal sinuses and NASA “Astronaut’s Nose In Space”. This broad scope gave me a unique perspective for science training which informed my approach to education directed towards the importance of science in medicine. I taught physiologic anatomy of surgical procedures to ENT surgical residents (PGY2-3), surgical nurse physicians and surgical physician assistants. As an undergraduate Physician Educator, I taught interdisciplinary anatomy, histology, and neurobiology the traditional way (discipline based courses with lectures and MCQ exams) to MS1-2’s at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City. I endeavored to inspire students by integrating clinical correlates into basic medical sciences whenever the situation indicated since it promotes higher order learning and retention while inspiring lifelong learning along with appreciation of evidence based medicine. I coined the phrase “Primary exposure then revisit to refresh and advance” to capture the nature of the novel integrated curricular approach. The experience allowed me to promote incorporation of the approach into the curriculum of a new allopathic medical school, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ, where I served as the founding chair of the Department of Science Education. This similarly designed 2 year horizontal course “Structure” pursues the integrated systems (vertical courses) based approach, along with use of the interactive “Socratic Questioning” pedagogy, sonography and physical exams (all in small groups), in parallel with “Case-Based” and “Self Directed” Learning.