A winning team

Sarah Peyré
Associate dean for innovative education
Associate professor of surgery, nursing, medical humanities and bioethics
University of Rochester Medical Center

What makes surgeons great? How do they develop—and practice—the critical skills needed to deliver life-saving care?

For Sarah Peyré, head of the Institute for Innovative Education (IIE) at the University of Rochester Medical Center, the answers go beyond the classroom.

“People come here not just because of what we teach, but how we teach,” she says. “Taking a team-based, patient-centered approach is—and always has been—at the core of what we do.” It also reflects a long-standing history of innovation in medical education at the University.

Health care providers at all stages—from students to nurses to seasoned surgeons—are involved in IIE programming. They participate in surgery on 3D-printed organs, diagnosis of “standardized patients” (actors trained to simulate various ailments), operating room dry-runs and debriefs, and much more.

These authentic learning experiences allow medical professionals to safely practice their techniques. And by training together as teams, they develop the communication skills that are so critical to excellent patient care.

“We want to train and support the best and highest performing workforce possible,” says Peyré. “Better teams, better care.”

—Margaret Bogumil and Michelle Hildreth, January 2018