DocTalks
DocTalks: A Medical Learning & Teaching Podcast
DocTalks brings together clinical educators to share insights, innovations, and evidence-based approaches to teaching in medicine. From mentorship to simulation, from feedback to assessment, we explore the art and science of medical education.
DocTalks: CBME and Competence By Design with Dr. Valerie Mueller
Dr. Valerie Mueller joins DocTalks to continue our mini-series on Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) as TMU welcomes its first cohort of residents.
Dr. Mueller speaks about managing the transition to CBME, and the way in which its formal assessment and documentation processes allow for greater accountability, and earlier intervention and delivery of enhanced education plans.
This episode also unpacks how CBME fits into the broader picture of residency evaluation, including some approaches to goal-setting with residents around Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs).
Dr. Valerie (Val) Mueller is the Associate Dean PGME at TMU SoM. She completed her medical training at McMaster University followed by residency training in Obstetrics & Gynecology and subspecialty training in Maternal Fetal Medicine. She has transitioned into the field of LIfestyle Medicine, assisting patients with complex chronic disorders.
Val has been active in medical education for over 20 years, including roles within Undergraduate Medical Education and Postgraduate Medical Education, holding various roles over her previous years at McMaster University.
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Chelsea Temple Jones is an Associate Professor and Faculty Fellow in Accessibility at Brock University. Specializing in critical disability studies, Jones's award-winning teaching centers post-critical accessible pedagogy. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the Department of Child and Youth Studies.
Curtis Maloley is the Director of Teaching Development & Digital Learning at the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at TMU, and an Instructor in the RTA School of Media.
Heather MacNeill is the Interim Assistant Dean, Clinical Faculty Development, for the new Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine. Her academic focus is on educational technologies in health professions education. She is Associate Professor, and co-instructor of a masters class in educational technology (external link) at University of Toronto. She is a practicing PM&R physician and Medical Director of Stroke Rehabilitation (external link) at Sinai Health (external link) .
Past Episodes
Dr. Marina Malak joins DocTalks as part of the mini-series on Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) as TMU welcomes its first cohort of residents.
Bringing a family medicine perspective, Dr. Malak explores how CBME is structured by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), including the Triple C curriculum—comprehensive care, continuity, and a focus on family medicine. She unpacks how TMU is building an educational program from the ground up and reflects on assessing complex competencies like professionalism and trust. The episode also tackles how failure can be reframed as growth, the role of cultural context in assessment, and what it means to help learners feel truly ready for independent practice.
Dr. Marina Malak is a family physician in Mississauga, Ontario, and the Director of Assessment and Competence of Family Medicine/Enhanced Skills at the Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine (TMU SoM). She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and McMaster University, a board member of the National Committee of Continuing Professional Development at the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), and a Peer Guide and Mentor with the Ontario College of Family Physicians of Ontario (OCFP). She is also an advisory member of the Halton Physicians Association, and a Wellness Mentor and community physician leader with Trillium Health Partners.
She is passionate about patient care; medical education; and promoting mental, physical, and emotional wellness.
Dr. Brent Thoma joins DocTalks to launch our mini-series on Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) as TMU welcomes its first cohort of residents. A national leader in medical education, Dr. Thoma explains key CBME concepts like EPAs, competence committees, and entrustment scores, while reflecting on the shift from time-based to outcomes-based training. He shares insights from his own journey and explores how TMU is building CBME programs with intention—avoiding pitfalls and leveraging lessons from across Canada. Whether you're new to CBME or guiding learners through it, this episode offers an accessible and practical introduction.
Dr. Brent Thoma is a Clinical Professor and the former interim Associate Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education at Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine. His academic work focuses on technology-enhanced learning including simulation, online educational resources, and learning analytics. His PhD thesis focused on the use of competency-based assessment data for organizational development.
This special National AccessAbility Week episode of DocTalks features Dr. Pamela Liao, Disability Health Lead at TMU’s School of Medicine, and Melissa Helwig, Head Medical Librarian. Together, we explore how medical education can become more inclusive for learners with disabilities—from dismantling outdated technical standards to embedding accessibility into curriculum design and library resources. With stories of lived experience and national leadership in disability justice, this conversation highlights how inclusion strengthens care, curriculum, and community.
Dr. Pamela Liao is the disability health lead in the TMU School of Medicine and Special Advisor to the Dean. She's also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, and is a steadfast advocate for equity, diversity and inclusivity in the medical profession.
Melissa Helwig is TMU Library's inaugural head medical librarian. She brings 18 years of experience in health science librarianship at both Dalhousie University and at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Melissa's day-to-day work is often focused on curriculum support, and she's interested in helping people use the library to engage in their continuing education journey.
In this episode of DocTalks, Dr. Aniket Hooda, emergency physician and education lead at Etobicoke General Hospital, reflects on the unique challenges and rewards of teaching in the fast-paced world of emergency medicine. Dr. Hooda shares how he balances clinical care with on-the-spot teaching, sets clear learning objectives, and uses the One-Minute Preceptor model to build clinical reasoning. Reflecting on his own training, he offers strategies for giving meaningful feedback—and reminds us why clinical teaching is a powerful responsibility and privilege.
Dr. Aniket Hooda is an Emergency Physician in the William Osler Health System, and currently serves as both the simulation lead and education lead in the emergency department of the Etobicoke General Hospital.
In this inaugural episode of DocTalks, we introduce a brand-new branch of Podagogies dedicated to exploring the world of medical education. Co-hosts Curtis Maloley and Chelsea Jones welcome the new DocTalks co-host, Dr. Heather MacNeil, Interim Assistant Dean of Faculty Development at the TMU School of Medicine. To kick things off, we’re joined by Dr. Teresa Chan, an educational leader, researcher, and the founding Dean of the School of Medicine. Together, we dive into the evolving role of medical educators, the importance of mentorship, and how technology—from podcasts to AI tutors—is transforming how future healthcare professionals are trained.
Dr. Teresa M. Chan is the Founding Dean of the Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine as well as TMU’s Vice-President, Medical Affairs. Previously, she served as Associate Dean, Continuing Professional Development and an Associate Professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. She was also a Clinician Scientist with McMaster Education, Research, Innovation and Theory (MERIT), and has been a practicing emergency physician with Hamilton Health Sciences since 2013.
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