CASE HPE Grand Rounds: Searching for Basic Science Knowledge Use in Clinical Learning and Teaching Practice: Studies of Medical Students, Teams, and Educators with Tracy Fulton PhD Session Summary Various reports substantiate the view, held widely among diverse groups of medical educators and leaders, that understanding and applying basic science concepts is a critical aspect of physician training. However, despite the emphasis placed on integration of basic science into medical curricula, surprisingly few studies have explored how physicians use BSK in clinical learning environments, and how faculty develop the ability to teach basic science to medical students. In this presentation, Dr. Fulton will outline her doctoral work, which has aimed to construct an understanding of how basic science knowledge is used and valued by different groups in two interrelated social learning systems: the CLE, and professional development landscape for educators. She also will talk about how this understanding can be leveraged to inform curriculum design, faculty development, and medical educator identity formation, with implications for improving learning and, potentially, patient care. Tracy Fulton, PhD, has spent more than 20 years at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she earned a PhD in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and is now a professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics. As a grad student, while studying telomerase in yeast, she explored her love for teaching as an adult literacy tutor, an animal museum docent, a K-5 classroom helper, and a TA for dental school biochemistry. She settled on professional school education as her target path and since joining the faculty in 2000 has directed and taught in courses in the Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry. Tracy is now co-directing the Teaching Scholars Program and is a learner in the UCSF-University Medical Center Utrecht doctoral program in Health Professions Education, exploring how students and faculty integrate and use their knowledge in the clinical workplace, with the goal of better informing preclerkship curriculum design. In the Bridges School of Medicine curriculum, Tracy co-directs the REGulatioN (Renal, Endocrine, GI, Nutrition) block. One of Tracy's main goals has been to transform medical biochemistry from a siloed collection of enzymes and pathways to an applied discipline focused on understanding. She worked with a team to nationally implement and study the Pathways of Human Metabolism Map, a visual tool for health professions students demonstrated to promote deep learning and application of classroom concepts to clinical problems. In her role as a course director she is passionate about helping students see connections between biochemistry and other disciplines and collaborates with faculty locally and nationally in this effort. Tracy is a member of the Academy of Medical Educators, and held the Academy Chair for Excellence in Foundational Teaching for 2 terms from 2013-2023. Tracy mentors UCSF students in the PILLAR program, and students in UCSF School of Medicine’s postbaccalaureate program. Tracy is active in the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE), past secretary and current member of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) committee for the Association of Biochemistry Educators (ABE), and has served on two US Medical Licensing Exam committees. For ~10 years Tracy was a leader in the Aquifer Sciences initiative, a partnership between Aquifer and the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) to design instructional tools that facilitate integration of basic sciences with clinical reasoning. Finally, Tracy was a member of the group that produced the AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for Entering Residency in 2014. Profile pages: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/tracy.fulton https://meded.ucsf.edu/people/tracy-fulton https://www.linkedin.com/in/fulton-tracy-b8736614 About Health Professions Education Grand Rounds (HPEGR): At these hour-long sessions, participants hear about recent research in health professions education. Presenters may include advanced learners studying in CFE’s master’s and doctoral programs, UCSF faculty who conduct education research, and invited speakers who contribute outside perspectives to advance the scholarly study of health professions education. The Master's Program in Education is a collaboration between UCSF and the University of California, Berkeley School of Education. The program prepares individuals in the research methodologies needed to undertake research studies in health professions education. Students receive mentoring from faculty in the UC Berkeley, Berkeley School of Education and faculty in the UCSF Center for Faculty Educators. UCSF collaborates with University Medical Center Utrecht (UMC Utrecht) to offer the Doctoral Program in Health Professions Education. This collaboration makes possible a rigorous program for scholarly advancement for medical education researchers. Successful candidates graduate with a PhD in Health Professions Education from UMC Utrecht.