PA Selected for Prestigious Harvard Macy Project

Laura Reed Gerstner, MHA, MSHS, PA-C, director of clinical education and assistant professor at the Campbell University Physician Assistant Program, has been selected to participate in the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine’s project on reducing diagnostic errors.

In collaboration with the Harvard Macy Institute, the 36-month project aims to “develop a competency-based, consensus curriculum that supports the objective of health profession training: producing clinicians who are highly competent in diagnosis per se, and in supporting the diagnostic process.”

“I am honored to represent PAEA on the Macy’s project,” said Gerstner. “I believe this is a unique opportunity for PAs to work with other health professions to create teaching methods that can be used across curriculums that will make stronger students and ultimately better clinicians.”

Over the course of three years, workgroups on clinical reasoning, diagnostic error, and health care systems will identify key competencies, craft recommendations for implementation into health care professional training, and test the curriculum in volunteer programs.