Physician Educator Spotlight: Jonathan Hastie, MD
Name:
Jonathan Hastie, MD
Title and Faculty Appointment:
Assistant Professor
Former Associate Residency Program Director
Department of Anesthesiology
Columbia University Medical Center
Education:
Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern
Residency: Columbia University Medical Center
Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship: Columbia University Medical Center
Critical Care Medicine: University of Michigan
Brief Educational Biosketch:
After fellowship, I joined the faculty at Columbia University Medical Center and worked in the Education Office as an Assistant and later Associate Residency Program Director. In addition to standard program administrative responsibilities, my work focused on creating and overseeing a conference series for the core adult anesthesiology rotation, expanding board review programs for our residents, and developing support tools both for program administration and for other faculty members as educators. I served as SEA’s Publications Committee Chair for several years, facilitating a transition in format of the newsletter.
Society/Committee Memberships:
Society for Education in Anesthesia: Publications Committee, Former Chair
What drew you to a career in education?
“All things are difficult before they become easy.”
As anesthesiologists, we learn a substantial amount of medical knowledge and clinical skills. I was initially attracted to education, however, because of the satisfaction in observing how our thinking changes as we learn. It was gratifying to see difficult concepts “click” with a resident who had been wrestling with them, and on a larger scale, to witness trainees develop from tentative interns to confident clinicians—ready for some of the most challenging cases—at the end of residency.
But my time in education also gave me great appreciation for developing structural tools for supporting others in education as well. This “education systems based practice” translated well to the clinical arena, where I have served for several years as Associate Director of the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit. Although I have stepped down from my APD role to focus on clinical leadership, I very much still see myself as an educator who supports the education of others and develops systems resources. And an educator is one who embraces change, even within one’s own career.
What is one fact about you people may not know?
I have an identical twin brother, who initially pursued a different career path, but later also became a cardiac anesthesiologist who practices in Dallas. Our overlapping careers lead to occasional awkward encounters at meetings, in which I meet people who think they know me but don’t.
What is your advice to an aspiring, young anesthesiologist educator?
Pursue what you most enjoy. Although we all have tedious parts of the job, make sure you’re doing something that excites and invigorates you.
