Katie Greenzang
Master of Education candidate
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Prior Education
Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, M.D. candidateHarvard College, A.B., magna cum laude
Professional Experience
Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa: Research FellowLang Youth Program at Columbia University: Medical Student Program Director
Office of Global Health Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Research Assistant to Assistant Surgeon General
Biography
As medicine changes to accommodate technological advances, the challenges of managed health care, and the ever-growing body of medical knowledge, medical education must also adapt. In medical school, I have been awed by some professors’ seamless integration of scientific knowledge with its clinical application. However, others are less successful at connecting molecular minutiae with living, breathing patients. Furthermore, many of our most valuable learning experiences occur not in the classroom, but by the patient’s bedside. Through my work in Durban, South Africa, and in the U.S. Office of Global Health Affairs, I have also become aware of how poor health literacy contributes to disparities in care and inferior disease outcomes; the more patients know about their illnesses, the better they can care for themselves.
At the Harvard Graduate School of Education, I hope to study pedagogy and learning theory. I plan to ultimately practice as a pediatrician and educator, and I believe this knowledge will help me better impart scientific and clinical information to future medical students, residents, peers, and patients. I also hope to play a role in creating and improving programs that teach medical professionals how to instruct both students and patients in ways that bridge classroom learning with clinical care. As many aspects of health care and education incorporate the business, medical and public service sectors, I eagerly look forward to sharing experiences and learning from the Zuckerman Fellows.
