THE VIRTUAL EDUCATOR
Interview with an Education Innovator: Insights for Faculty Looking to Teach Differently
SAEM PULSE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020
By Alexis del Vecchio MD on behalf of the SAEM Virtual Presence Committee
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COVID has upended how education is delivered. Over the next year, this column will interview innovators in academic emergency medicine education. For this issue we interviewed (virtually!) Venkatesh R. Bellamkonda, MD, an assistant professor in emergency medicine at Mayo Clinic, who shares insights for instructors to deliver engaging virtual content to learners. Dr. Bellamkonda has been involved in education since 2005. He was the curriculum director for the Quality Academy at Mayo Clinic, which involved teaching healthcare quality to more than 60,000 learners across the enterprise and served as the chair of education for all of Mayo’s emergency department (ED) service lines. Most recently, Dr. Bellamkonda shepherded the transition of Mayo’s emergency
medicine (EM) didactics to a virtual learning environment. He has also cocreated several virtual reality initiatives.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your path to emergency medicine education.
I have been involved in education since 2005. I was the Curriculum Director for the Quality Academy at Mayo Clinic, which involves Venkatesh R. Bellamkonda teaching healthcare quality to more than 60,000 learners across the enterprise. I serve as the chair of education for all of our emergency department (ED) service
lines. Most recently, I shepherded the transition of our emergency medicine (EM) didactics to a virtual learning environment. I also have co-created several virtual reality initiatives.
Embrace the power of performance and engage your learners. How do you make your virtual lectures?
I taught ultrasound via Zoom to medical students. I knew my delivery had to be over the top. If I use hand gestures, if I use inflection, my delivery is more meaningful and efficacious. Be animated and aware of your speech. Don’t speak in monotone. Include striking visuals. Tell a story utilizing your physicality
