Spotlight on an Education Champion: Dr. Gemini Tanna

Dr. Gemini Tanna is a clinician educator in the Division of Nephrology.  She teaches all levels of students, from first-year medical students to nephrology fellows. Dr. Tanna has been at Sunnybrook for 9 years and says she cannot imagine teaching and working anywhere else.

This past spring, Dr. Tanna received the Sunnybrook Education Advisory Council Teaching Award.

What do you like about being an educator?
This is a difficult question because I just love everything about it! I love the interaction with students. I love seeing their curiosity. After years on the job, it's easy to start to take things for granted. My students help me approach my work with a fresh set of eyes. I also love imparting knowledge to people who are in the early stages of their training. And I really love that as I teach, I continue to learn.

What qualities make a great educator?
I think being invested in your students is important. You have to learn how they learn best, and adapt. It's up to the educator to create a positive learning environment and to figure how to best keep your students motivated.

Learning and adapting as your students evolve is very important. It isn't fair to say "I've taught this course this way for 9 years and so that's how I'm going to teach it." It's important to stay up-to-date on the new technologies and the new ways students learn and communicate.

What advice would you give other current or future educators?
Please remember, teaching is a privilege. You are a role model for your students. What you show to them through your actions has a lasting impression. And keep learning everyday - through staying up-to-date, or taking continuing education courses; it's important to be a life-long learner.

What can educators do if things aren't going well for their students?
I spend a lot of time on remediation - and I think it is the most fulfilling aspect of teaching. Teaching is easy when things are going well and all the students are motivated to learn! The real art of teaching is what you do when things aren't going so well. I think if we see those times as an opportunity instead of a chore, that's a start. Treat the struggling student as individual - take the time to figure out what he or she needs to get back on the right track.  You will help them do better and you yourself will feel fulfilled.

Do you have an educator who made a lasting impression on you?
Yes. Dr. Robert Richardson at University Health Network. I was in his first-year renal physiology class. It was in that class that I thought, "I like this. I like the topic and I like how he teaches." It was then I decided I wanted to focus on nephrology. What is truly an honour for me is that soon I will begin teaching that class as Dr. Richardson prepares for retirement. He is an amazing mentor to me.

What did it mean to you to win the Sunnybrook Education Advisory Council Teaching Award?
It was such an honour to be recognized by my education peers and the education leaders at Sunnybrook. My teaching heart is at Sunnybrook, so it's great to be validated with this award from the hospital. The teaching climate here is great - there is so much support and leadership in education.