Katherine Johnston, MD, MA, MSc
Katherine Johnston, MD, MA, MSc
Rabkin Fellow in Medical Education
Instructor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Faculty, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Fellowship Project: Improving the delivery of formative feedback in an internal medicine resident ambulatory care clinic
Dr. Kate Johnston is the Medical Director of the Breast Cancer Survivorship Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), a breast health specialist at the BIDMC BreastCare center, and a clinician in primary care where she focuses in women's health at Healthcare Associates. Dr. Johnston received her BS in Biology, summa cum laude, at Loyola University Chicago. She then pursued a Master's degree in Philosophy, focused on Health Care Ethics at Loyola University Chicago. She completed her Medical Doctorate at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, where she was awarded the Faculty Award for Excellence in the Clinical Sciences. Dr. Johnston completed her training in internal medicine and primary care at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where she served as a chief resident at the VA Hospital during her senior year. She then pursued a General Internal Medicine fellowship, focused in women's health, and a preventive medicine residency at Boston University. During this time, she completed a Master's of Science in Health Services Research at the Boston University School of Public Health. Dr. Johnston's master's thesis was focused on the effect of academic rank and gender on the delivery of written formative feedback for medical students. Dr. Johnston was awarded the Best Resident/Fellow Abstract in Medical Education at the John McCahan Medical Education Day, Boston University School of Medicine in 2008.
Dr. Johnston has taught in numerous courses at Harvard Medical School and has taught frequently in the internal medicine ambulatory care curriculum, in addition to multiple faculty continuing medical education courses on breast disease and breast cancer risk assessment. She currently facilitates the third year medical student's case conference in the PCE course and mentors students in her primary care clinic during their third year internal medicine clerkship. Dr. Johnston is an active member of the Harvard Medical School Academy for Teaching and Learning in Medicine, as well as a Senior Academy Member, in the Beth Israel Deaconess Academy of Medical Educators. In 2011, she was awarded the BIDMC Academy of Medical Educator's Award for distinguished participation, contribution, and commitment to educational excellence and promotion of best teaching practices.
As a Rabkin Fellow, Dr. Johnston created a tool for facilitating the delivery of formative feedback during brief structured observations for faculty to use while precepting residents working with patients in the ambulatory care clinic. The tool is designed to assist faculty in providing formative feedback after observing residents during patient assessments. It is currently being testing for feasibility in the ambulatory care clinic.