In 2023, the Macy Foundation announced the first seven recipients of our Catalyst Awards for Transformation in Graduate Medical Education. Each institution in the inaugural cohort received $50,000 for one year to implement innovative projects addressing civility, psychological safety, and thriving in the clinical learning environment for residents and fellows. All seven projects focused on a similar theme of supporting GME learners in managing microaggressions in the clinical learning environment, although each employed a unique strategy to do so, including simulation experiences, upstander training, peer mentoring, and chief resident preparation. Together, members of this first cohort are creating a community of practice to address this significant problem and improve the clinical experience for residents and fellows.

In 2022, we held our annual Macy Foundation conference, where more than 50 faculty members, learners, leaders, and other experts in health professions education convened to identify ways to advance equity in medical education assessment. The conference recommendations and eight accompanying case studies on Ensuring Fairness in Medical Education Assessment were published in the August 2023 supplement of Academic Medicine. In addition, Macy Foundation President Holly J. Humphrey co-hosted a webinar on the conference recommendations alongside Louito C. Edje, MD, MHPE, FAAFP, and Karen Hauer, MD, PhD, both of whom served on the conference planning committee and contributed to the journal supplement. We also invited five conferees to share how they and their institutions are implementing (or planning to implement) the conference recommendations.

The Macy Foundation continued, in 2023, to engage leaders and learners with disabilities in discussions around equity and inclusion in health professions education. Partnering with the Docs With Disabilities Initiative, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and the Johns Hopkins University Disability Health Research Center, we hosted a three-part webinar series exploring the barriers to inclusion for nurses with disabilities. In addition to participating in the webinar series, Docs with Disabilities Founder Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, guest-authored a Macy Notes blog post for Disability Pride Month in which she reflected on the history of disability rights and recommended ways institutions can improve access for learners with disabilities.

The Macy Foundation continued to elevate and support voices and projects dedicated to diversity, equity, and belonging in 2023. In honor of Black History Month, Macy Foundation President Holly J. Humphrey interviewed Drs. Coretta Jenerette, PhD, and Danica Fulbright Sumpter, PhD, RN, about improving equity in nursing. Dr. Humphrey also spoke with Robert Cain, DO, FACOI, FAODME, and Natasha Bray, DO, MSEd, FACOI, FACP, about osteopathic medicine and Indigenous health in her Macy Notes blog series. The University of Chicago invited Dr. Humphrey to speak as part of the MacLean Center’s lecture series on gender equity and ethics in medical education, and she wrote a reflection piece on the lack of progress over time. The Macy Foundation also provided support to the Parent Resources in Medical Education (PRIME) Initiative, which works to ensure inclusive parental support in medical schools across the country.

The Macy Foundation continued our commitment in 2023 to increasing collaboration among health professionals in the clinical learning environment. Macy Faculty Scholar Sunny Hallowell, PhD, RN, PPCNP-BC, authored a Macy Notes blog post about her project exploring virtual gaming simulation in clinical education. In our second Vital Voices season, Macy President Holly J. Humphrey spoke with Joseph J. Kiesler, MD, on improving health equity through interprofessional collaboration. In November, Dr. Humphrey joined Maine Medical Center's Interprofessional Partnership to Advance Care and Education (iPACE) retreat as their keynote speaker. She wrote a blog post discussing how this program exemplifies why high-performing interprofessional teams are optimal for providing patient care and training future health care professionals.

In 2023, the Macy Foundation continued our commitment to preparing future health professionals to navigate ethical dilemmas. Nelda Godfrey, PhD, ACNS-BC, RN, FAAN, ANEF, guest-authored a Macy Notes blog on the importance of professional identity formation in nursing as a means to combatting burnout. We also provided support to The Nocturnists podcast for its series on the experiences of providers and patients following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which erased abortion protections. Episode 6 is dedicated to the devastating impact abortion restrictions are having on medical education.