A bit more information

In the high-pressure environment of healthcare education, social wellness is often overlooked in favor of academic performance and clinical competency. However, a growing body of research highlights that a strong sense of belonging and community significantly contributes to students’ mental health, academic success, and professional development.

This session will explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the academic, emotional and mental development of current healthcare students.  Additionally, we will explore the role of technology and social media in shaping the modern teaching and learning environment.  By fostering social wellness through intentional community-building strategies, we can positively transform the culture of dental and healthcare education.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Define social wellness and explain its relevance in healthcare education.
• Analyze the literature on the effects of COVID-19 on student learning and well-being.
• Discuss research on how smartphones and social media contribute to student isolation.
• Identify key factors that support or hinder a sense of community among students and faculty.
• Apply teaching and learning strategies that integrate social wellness initiatives to promote resilience and well-being in students.

Educators Platform Masterminds are dynamic two-hour virtual sessions building on each other’s challenges, ideas and successes in the presence of a content expert. Mastermind sessions are thoughtfully facilitated to create an environment for like-minded colleagues to share and learn from one another with the goal of collective professional growth and development. Sessions are uniquely tailored to the needs of participants. Those attending will have the opportunity to create strong connections with other participants to last a whole career.

More about our content experts: 

Cindy Amyot has served in a variety of positions during her 30+ years of teaching at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), School of Dentistry. Administrative positions include Associate Dean of Instructional Technology and Faculty Development, Director of the Division of Dental Hygiene, Director of Graduate and Degree Completion Studies, and Junior Clinic Coordinator. She has taught at all levels of the curriculum: doctoral, predoctoral, graduate and undergraduate. Dr. Amyot led the initiative to put the Graduate and Degree Completion programs online in the early 2000s. She has been actively engaged in portfolio assessment of competency for over twenty years. Dr. Amyot has received numerous distinguished teaching awards from the School of Dentistry and is a recipient of the university wide Elmer Pierson Outstanding Teaching Award. In 2020, she was the recipient of the ADEA/GIES Award for Innovation – Dental Educator. Her research interests include portfolio assessment of student competency, educational methodology research, and access to care.

Attendees of Educators Platform Mastermind sessions will earn 2 CEU in Educational Methods.