The fellowship was launched in August 2023 as a joint effort between CHEST and APCCMPD to promote diversity in respiratory-care education. Its central premise is that clinical expertise alone does not automatically prepare a physician to teach, assess learners, design curricula, or conduct education research. Medical education is a specialized field that draws on learning science, assessment theory, instructional design, program evaluation, and research methodology. Fellows selected for the program receive individualized guidance in these areas, allowing them to develop the skills needed to become effective educators while continuing their clinical training in pulmonary medicine, critical care medicine, or combined pulmonary and critical care medicine.

Brady is an associate professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she also serves as associate program director for the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship. Her national educational experience includes participation in the APCCMPD Ambulatory Curriculum Workgroup and Education Committee. These roles place her at the intersection of day-to-day fellowship instruction and broader efforts to improve how pulmonary and critical care trainees learn. Ambulatory education is particularly important in respiratory medicine because many conditions, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, and sleep-related breathing disorders, require longitudinal management rather than episodic hospital treatment.

The mentor’s role will extend beyond occasional advice. The selected mentee will work with Brady to create a personalized curriculum based on their professional goals, prior experience, and institutional needs. Such a curriculum may include training in lesson planning, bedside and simulation-based teaching, feedback delivery, competency assessment, curriculum mapping, and the use of educational data to improve instruction. In a competency-based training environment, educators must do more than document whether a fellow has encountered a procedure or disease; they must determine whether the trainee can perform safely, reason clinically, communicate effectively, and apply knowledge under realistic conditions. Learning how to define and measure those competencies is a major part of becoming an independent medical educator.

The fellowship also requires the mentor and mentee to develop a medical education research project. In practical terms, that could involve identifying a learning gap, designing an intervention, selecting valid outcome measures, analyzing results, and communicating findings through a conference presentation or peer-reviewed publication. Education research often depends on careful study design because improvements in learner performance can result from many factors, including increased clinical exposure, changes in supervision, or differences in patient populations. A well-designed project therefore needs a clearly defined research question and methods capable of distinguishing a genuine educational effect from unrelated changes in training conditions.

Brady described medical education as a central and rewarding part of her career, emphasizing that working with fellows is the best part of her job. She also highlighted the value of mentoring someone from outside her own institution. Cross-institutional mentorship can expose both participants to different teaching cultures, clinical workflows, patient populations, and approaches to assessment. For a fellow at a resource-stretched program, this exchange may provide access to educational models, research guidance, and professional networks that are not readily available locally. For the mentor, the relationship can reveal how educational strategies function in settings with different staffing patterns, technology, and institutional priorities.

The mentee position is open to active CHEST members who are training in a fellowship program that belongs to APCCMPD. Applicants must be first-year fellows in a two-year fellowship or first- or second-year fellows in a three-year fellowship, and their programs must be accredited in pulmonary medicine, critical care medicine, or pulmonary and critical care medicine. Candidates are expected to demonstrate a commitment to becoming medical educators in pulmonary and critical care medicine and to mentoring future trainees. They must also be training at an institution with limited opportunities, resources, or mentors in medical education, while bringing distinctive qualities and experiences that can contribute to an educational environment.

The eligibility structure reflects a broader concern in graduate medical education: opportunities to learn how to teach are unevenly distributed. Large academic centers may have dedicated education divisions, simulation facilities, instructional designers, statisticians, and faculty development programs. Smaller or resource-limited institutions may provide excellent clinical training but have fewer formal pathways for fellows who want to pursue education as a career. This difference can influence who becomes an educator, whose research questions receive support, and which perspectives are represented in training programs. By directing mentorship toward fellows with fewer local resources, CHEST and APCCMPD are attempting to address that imbalance without separating educational development from clinical fellowship training.

Applications for the mentee role are due Monday, November 2, according to the announcement. The selected fellow will spend the fellowship period working closely with Brady on professional development and the research project, with the goal of building a sustainable foundation for a career in medical education. The program’s organizers describe the initiative as an investment in respiratory-care training at a time when pulmonary and critical care physicians must prepare learners to manage increasingly complex disease, rapidly evolving technologies, and patients whose care often spans outpatient clinics, emergency departments, intensive care units, and home-based therapies. More information about eligibility and the application process is available through the APCCMPD program website.

Subject of Research: Medical educator development and diversity in pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship training.

Article Title: CHEST and APCCMPD Name Anna Brady, MD, as 2027 Mentor for Medical Educator Diversity Scholar Fellowship

Web References: https://www.chestnet.org/ ; https://www.apccmpd.org/ ; https://www.apccmpd.org/chest-and-apccmpd-med-ed-diversity-scholar-fellowship ; https://www.apccmpd.org/chest-apccmpd_mentee_meded-scholar-fellowship

Keywords: medical education, pulmonary medicine, critical care medicine, respiratory care, fellowship training, medical education research, mentorship, diversity in medicine, CHEST, APCCMPD, physician educators, competency-based education

Matthew Simpson, MD, a first-year pulmonary and critical care fellow at the Morehouse School of Medicine, has been selected as the distinguished mentee for the 2026 fellowship year. Dr. Simpson’s selection is emblematic of the fellowship’s focus on integrating clinical acumen with pioneering educational methodologies. His research interests hover around the educational paradigm: exploring how personalized coaching and mentorship can revolutionize learner confidence, enhance performance metrics, and promote the long-term retention of complex clinical concepts vital to pulmonary and critical care disciplines. This fellowship presents a unique opportunity for Dr. Simpson to refine these educational strategies under expert guidance.

The genesis of this fellowship resides in a shared vision by CHEST and APCCMPD to rectify persistent disparities in medical education and healthcare delivery within underrepresented communities. By pairing trainees with accomplished mentors, the program aims to promulgate innovative curriculum development, enrich medical education research, and solidify academic leadership capacities. The ultimate goal transcends educational excellence, aspiring to translate improved trainee competence into superior patient care outcomes, particularly in underserved populations disproportionately affected by pulmonary diseases.

Dr. Simpson expressed profound gratitude upon receiving the fellowship, highlighting the honor as a pivotal milestone in his professional journey. His dedication to fostering inclusivity and innovation within critical care education resonates deeply with the fellowship’s mission. He anticipates the mentorship will catalyze his evolution into a visionary educator capable of designing sustainable, impactful educational frameworks that not only elevate trainee achievement but also bridge healthcare gaps in marginalized communities.

Mentoring Dr. Simpson throughout the fellowship will be Deepak Pradhan, MD, FCCP, whose academic and professional credentials position him as an exemplary guide. Dr. Pradhan serves as an Associate Professor on the Scholar Track within the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at New York University. His educational background is augmented by a master’s degree in health professions education, obtained jointly from New York University and Maastricht University, which equips him with a robust foundation in pedagogical theory and practice. Dr. Pradhan’s expertise promises to facilitate a rich mentor-mentee collaboration, emphasizing the nexus of clinical excellence and educational innovation.

The fellowship’s approach hinges on immersive mentorship and targeted skill development in curriculum design, educational research methodologies, and academic leadership strategies. This holistic model addresses the complex demands of training competent, adaptive physicians in pulmonary and critical care environments where rapid advancements and patient acuity necessitate continual learning and flexibility. By fostering educational leadership among fellows, the program anticipates a multiplier effect—mentees transforming into mentors and educators themselves, thereby perpetuating a culture of excellence and diversity.

CHEST, as a leading authority in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases, leverages its global network to amplify the impact of such initiatives. With a membership exceeding 18,000 clinicians and researchers worldwide, CHEST’s endorsement and collaboration with APCCMPD provide a formidable platform for programmatic success. Both organizations recognize that the convergence of clinical expertise and innovative educational frameworks is vital to ushering in a new era of pulmonary and critical care medicine that is equitable, dynamic, and responsive to the evolving needs of diverse patient populations.

Applications for the 2027 cohort of the APCCMPD and CHEST Medical Educator Diversity Scholar Fellowship will open on August 3, inviting a new generation of fellows determined to reshape medical education landscapes. The program’s visibility, bolstered by its evidence-based mentorship model and focus on diversity, is poised to attract a broad spectrum of candidates, further strengthening representation in critical care leadership roles. Interested applicants are encouraged to consult the APCCMPD website for comprehensive details and submission guidelines.

The impact of such fellowships underscores the broader imperative within academic medicine to confront systemic barriers that have historically limited diversity among educators and leaders. Incorporating diverse perspectives not only enriches the learning environment but also enhances cultural competence in patient care, fostering improved health outcomes. As pulmonary and critical care medicine face unprecedented challenges—from rising chronic respiratory disease prevalence to complex critical illness management—the cultivation of diverse, skilled educators is essential to sustain innovation and resilience in the field.

In summation, the continued success of the APCCMPD and CHEST Medical Educator Diversity Scholar Fellowship highlights a transformative investment in the future of medical education. Through fostering mentorship-driven development and amplifying diverse voices, the program exemplifies a strategic response to the need for inclusive leadership in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Dr. Matthew Simpson’s forthcoming fellowship year embodies this vision—merging clinical expertise with pedagogical innovation to ultimately enhance patient care at the intersection of education and medicine.

Subject of Research: Medical education diversity and mentorship in pulmonary and critical care medicine

Article Title: Advancing Diversity and Innovation in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medical Education: The 2026 APCCMPD and CHEST Medical Educator Diversity Scholar Fellowship

News Publication Date: Not specified

Web References:
– APCCMPD and CHEST Medical Educator Diversity Scholar Fellowship: https://apccmpd.memberclicks.net/chest-apccmpd-meded-scholar-fellowship_funded
– American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST): https://www.chestnet.org/
– Mentor Announcement: https://www.chestnet.org/newsroom/press-releases/2025/09/medical-educator-dr-deepak-pradhan-named-2026-mentor-for-pccm-fellowship

References: Not provided

Image Credits: Not provided

Keywords: Medical education, Pulmonary medicine, Critical care, Diversity, Mentorship, Fellowship, Educational innovation, Curriculum design, Underrepresented trainees, Academic leadership