Physician Educator Spotlight: Allison Lee, MD, MS

Name:

Allison Lee, MD, MS

Title and Faculty Appointment:

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at CUMC
Officer of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, 
Department of Anesthesiology
Medical Director of the Margaret Wood 
Center for Simulation and Education


Undergraduate & Graduate Medical Education:

Medical School - University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
Anesthesiology Residency and Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship – University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL
Master of Science (Biostatistics) – Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY

 

Brief Educational Biosketch:

I grew up and went to medical school on the Caribbean island of Jamaica. I completed 2 years of anesthesia residency there, but a yearning for broader academic exposure led me to join the anesthesia residency program at Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami in 1999 following which I completed a fellowship in obstetric anesthesia. I was an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Miami until 2012, when I made the leap up north to Columbia University. At Columbia, I have been Medical Director of the Department of Anesthesiology’s Margaret Wood Center for Simulation and Education since 2017 and was appointed this year as the Officer for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 

My passion for teaching has grown steadily over the years and is now culminating with projects that aim at identifying novel training instruments and applying rigorous research methodologies to evaluate these training tools. I believe serious games are the new frontier in education and I am excited to become a leader in this cutting edge field. I am proud to have been awarded the 2016 Gertie Marx Education and Research Grant, which allowed me to develop the 1st English-language serious game in the field of obstetric anesthesia. In 2018, I received the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research Grant to investigate the optimal debriefing techniques for serious games. At Columbia University, I am also a member of the Virginia Apgar Academy of Educators. On a national level, I serve as an Associate Examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology’s (ABA) Part 2 Examination (Oral Boards).

 

Society/Committee Memberships:

2017 – present Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA)
2020Leadership Advisory Board (LAB) (2 year term) – established in order to provide resources for professional development and mentorship for members to succeed as leaders, and make deliberate efforts to establish a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment in the AUA.
AUA/IARS Abstract Reviewer

2016 – present Society for Simulation in Healthcare
Planning Committee IMSH 2019 Annual Meeting – Faculty Development Track Content Development Reviewer


2006-present American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)
2017 – 2020ASA Educational Track Subcommittee on Obstetric Anesthesia
2014 ASA Online Community Ambassador
2011 - 2013 ASA Global Humanitarian Outreach Committee

2006-presentSociety for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP)
2021 – presentMember, Research Promotions Subcommittee
2020 – presentVice-Chair SOAP Education Committee
2020 – presentChair, SOAP Diversity and Inclusivity Subcommitee
2012-2019 SOAP Resident Affairs Committee
2017-presentSOAP Annual Meeting Research Abstract Reviewer 

2015 -presentSociety for Education in Anesthesia (SEA)
2017 – presentSEA Simulation Committee

 
What drew you to a career in anesthesiology education?

I enjoy teaching and find it tremendously rewarding to see residents blossom and grow in confidence over the course of their training. I love being in an environment where I always feel like I myself am growing and learning, and being constantly challenged. Being an educator means you have to be able to defend your clinical practice and your decisions based on evidence, and that keeps you on your toes.
 

What are a few facts about you people may not know?

Many people may not know that I am active in global health work. Over 10 years ago I founded a non-profit organization, Medics on a Mission, Inc. and have been conducting annual medical mission trips to Jamaica where our group performs urological surgeries for the needy and we host regional anesthesia workshops for local anesthesiologists (www.medicsonamission.org).

During residency and for several years beyond, I had a “side gig” as a singer-songwriter and I have an album, “Been Here Before”, available on iTunes; my music can still be heard on Spotify.

 

What is your advice to an aspiring, young anesthesiologist educator?

My advice would be to be creative and always keep innovating. I would also advise young educators that there is a whole science underlying adult learning and the best practices for teaching, and so they should avail themselves of additional training in education techniques however and wherever those opportunities may arise -  whether it be courses on feedback/debriefing, simulation instructor training, advanced certificates, etc.. 

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