Career Development

Clinical Bioethics

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Medical Education

Wellness and Well-being

Trainee

Navigating the Tensions Within Clinical Learning Environments: A Compassionate Pedagogy Approach

Leader(s)

• 

  Tessy Thomas, DO, MBE

  Assistant Professor of Pediatrics & Bioethics
  Geisinger
  Danville, Pennsylvania, United States

Co-Leader(s)

• 

  Audrea Burns, PhD

  Associate Professor
  Baylor College of Medicine
  Houston, Texas, United States
• MK

  Michelle Kiger, MD, PhD

  Associate Professor
  University of Colorado School of Medicine
  Highlands Ranch, Colorado, United States
• 

  Michael Petrus-Jones, DO, MPH, MS (he/him/his)

  Fellow
  Baylor College of Medicine
  Houston, Texas, United States
• MS

  MOUSHUMI SUR, MD

  ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
  Baylor College of Medicine
  Pearland, Texas, United States

Workshop Description: Clinical learning environments (CLE) are increasingly fraught with tension between educators and trainees. Educators strive to uphold rigorous standards, yet often face backlash for being perceived as adversarial. Meanwhile, trainees frequently view the demands of training as not merely challenging but unjust. This has blurred the lines between necessary and unnecessary discomfort, contributing to burnout and moral distress and injury. These dynamics create an urgent need for a new approach to balance the educational rigor with the well-being of all involved.

Current approaches often fail to address these tensions holistically, focusing either on individual resilience or systematic flaws without bridging the gap between the two. There is a paucity of structured frameworks that fosters a CLE where meaningful dialogue and human flourishing is prioritized alongside maintaining high standards. The need for a compassionate pedagogy—cooperative educational practice extending understanding and care to all—that also operationalizes inclusivity, critical thinking, and agency is evident, yet under-implemented.

This workshop introduces a novel approach to the CLE through the lens of critical pedagogy as a compassionate pedagogy. By leveraging five core components—reducing experience gaps, embracing humility, promoting open dialogue, fostering critical thinking, and enabling agency—this workshop actively empowers educators and trainees to co-create and embrace shared responsibilities in the CLE. Participants will engage in interactive exercises, real-world scenarios, and evidence-based discussions to redefine the boundaries of necessary discomfort, reclaim moral well-being, and cultivate agency. Together, we will explore how compassionate pedagogy can transform CLE tensions into opportunities for reflection and growth, ultimately fostering human flourishing.