Jennifer Best is an Associate Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She is Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, overseeing accreditation and educational quality improvement for 120 residency and fellowship programs. She also serves as Associate Program Director for Professional Development and Well-Being for the Internal Medicine Residency Program.
As a Macy Faculty Scholar, Dr. Best will implement the "social-belonging intervention" in the transition from undergraduate medical education to residency. Partnering with an interdisciplinary team to adapt its application for first-year residents across medical, surgical, and hospital-based specialties, she will study the longitudinal impacts of this psychological strategy on academic outcomes and engagement, and psychological and physical well-being, with a focus on underrepresented learners.
Byron Joyner, MD, MPA, Professor of Urology and Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Designated Institutional Official for the University of Washington School of Medicine, serves as Dr. Best's mentor.