Medical Education Fellowship
Our Team of Dedicated Educators
The BrownEM medical education fellowship is strengthened by a team of EM educators and scholars working across the medical education spectrum. Our faculty lead from positions across the University and throughout the health system, which offers fellows the opportunity to learn and seek mentorship from mentors with a breadth of experience. BrownEM faculty are highly valued by the University as educators, providing our medical education fellows with unique access to teaching and scholarly opportunities.
Below are just a few of our program faculty:
Chris Merritt, MD, MPH, MHPE
Program Director
Dr. Merritt is a pediatric emergency physician with a dedication to medical education and education scholarship. He has taught and led in undergraduate and graduate medical education, as well as in continuing faculty development. He is a Mary B Arnold Mentor in the Alpert Medical School at Brown, a longitudinal student mentorship program. He holds a Masters in Health Professions Education from the University of Michigan, where he continues to act as a mentor.
Brian Clyne, MD, MHL
Vice Chair for Education
Dr. Clyne is the founder and past program director of the medical education fellowship, and remains directly involved in mentoring fellows and program development. His focus is on leadership development. Dr. Clyne holds a Masters in Healthcare Leadership from Brown, and in addition to his roles in departmental leadership is active in teaching and mentoring of students, residents and faculty.
Steve Rougas, MD, MS
Office of Medical Education, Alpert Medical School
Dr. Rougas was the very first graduate of our fellowship. He is an integral member of the Office of Medical Education, helping to guide curriculum and assessment for medical students at Brown. He directs the Doctoring Program, a 4-year clinical skills training curriculum, and is a leader in the AAMC's Northeast Group on Educational Affairs. He holds a Masters in Medical Education Leadership from the University of New England.
Rory Merritt, MD, MEHP
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Learning Environment
Dr. Merritt (no relation to our program director!) is a graduate of our fellowship. He is involved in advising and teaching of medical students, faculty development, and has led courses in Doctoring Clinical Skills Course. He holds a Master of Education in the Health Professions from Johns Hopkins.
Gita Pensa, MD
Emergency Digital Health Initiative; Fellowship Director Digital Health
Dr. Pensa launched Brown EM's educational blog, which garners over 10,000 visits each month, as well as the Brown EM podcast series. She hosts AEM Early Access, a collaboration with Academic Emergency Medicine journal, is an EM:RAP contributor, speaks nationally on digital education innovation, and was named 2018 EMRA National Mentor of the Year. Locally, she teaches about podcasting and educational technology, and serves as a longitudinal mentor to over thirty Brown medical students. Dr. Pensa created "Doctors and Litigation: The L Word", a podcast series about psychological and practical preparation for malpractice litigation, and speaks nationally on the topic of malpractice litigation.
Jessica Smith, MD
Lifespan DIO, Director fo Graduate Medical Education
Dr. Smith is a former director of the EM residency at Brown, recognized as one of the top training programs in the country, and now leads all GME programming in our health system. She is a CORD Distinguished Educator, and has served in multiple national leadership positions in ACEP, CORD, and SAEM. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors of CORD, RI ACEP, and BrownEM. She is adjunct faculty at the ACEP Teaching Fellowship, is involved in emergency medicine advocacy, and is a mentor to medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty.
Andrew Musits, MD, MS
Director, Lifespan Medical Simulation Center
Dr. Musits holds key roles in education and curriculum develop-ment. He directs EM resident simulation and the Medical Simulation Fellowship. Dr. Musits holds a Master of Science in Medical Education from The University of Pittsburgh where he completed a Fellowship in Medical Education and Simulation in conjunction with The Winter Institute for Simulation, Education, and Research (WISER). Dr. Musits’ passion is improving patient care and patient safety through innovative and engaging education for clinicians.
Linda Brown, MD, MSCE
Interim Chair of Emergency Medicine, Vice Chair, Pediatric EM
In addition to being Vice Chair for Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Dr. Brown is a simulation and resuscitation expert, and is a past Director of the Lifespan Medical Simulation Center. She holds a master of science degree in clinical epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests include improving medical education through high-fidelity simulation, and the use of simulation to educate pre-hospital providers and community practitioners. She is active in INSPIRE, an international collaboration simulation research network.
Elizabeth Jacobs, MD
Director, Pediatric EM Felllowship
Dr. Jacobs is the fellowship director for the pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Brown, and an active member of the Education Section within BrownEM. Her interests include asynchrounous learning both within and outside a busy pediatric emergency department as well as just in time learning.
