Defying gravity: moving from a scarcity mindset toward sustainability.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Academic Medicine
• Clinician Educators

Background:

• Medical education faces resource scarcity, impacting academic medicine and clinician educators.
• A scarcity mindset can negatively affect the learning environment for both educators and learners.
• The core objective of developing high-quality physicians remains paramount despite these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline strategies for promoting sustainability in medical education amidst resource scarcity.
• To identify individual and institutional approaches to mitigate scarcity mindsets and optimize resource utilization.

Main Methods:

• This Scholarly Perspective analyzes challenges in medical education.
• It proposes actionable strategies at both individual and institutional levels.
• Focuses on mindset adaptation, boundary setting, collaboration, and advocacy.

Main Results:

• Individual clinician educators can enhance sustainability by controlling decisions, automating tasks, setting boundaries, and reconnecting with their core motivations.
• Institutional initiatives include interinstitutional collaboration, workforce development, and leveraging educational specialists.
• Strong relationships with leadership and advocacy are crucial for resource investment.

Conclusions:

• Clinician educators and institutions can promote sustainability by implementing individual coping mechanisms and systemic changes.
• Optimizing resource use and fostering collaboration are key to navigating scarcity.
• Advocating for clinical education's value is essential for academic medicine's future.