Miller Sarkin Lectureship: Joseph Augustus Jackson Jr., MD, FAAP
Title: One Great Spectacle: Keeping Pace with Passion and Perseverance in Pediatric Education
Brief Description: Navigating the landscape of education in pediatrics can be challenging and complex. It requires educators and administrators to do more than provide knowledge and structure to our learners. Rather, we are called to engage in teaching that models the compassion and excellence we hope to cultivate among our students. Passion serves as the engine that drives our innovation and collaboration. Perseverance ensures that we stay on track despite the obstacles, disruptors and inevitable set back that occur in our lives. We anchor ourselves within the shared stories and conceptual frameworks that help us to thrive in the face of uncertainty. We strive to enter our classrooms consistently demonstrating compassion, innovation and indomitability. By intentionally fostering both passion and perseverance, we are better equipped to support our learners and to sustain the joy and meaning that brought us into pediatric education.
Dr. Joseph A. Jackson, Jr. is a Professor and practicing Pediatrician in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health Department of Pediatrics at Duke University Health. He also serves as Associate Dean and Director of the Office of Student Affairs at Duke University School of Medicine. He was raised in Pennsylvania and earned his Bachelor of Science with Specialization in Biochemistry and Medical Degree from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA. He completed his Pediatric training at Duke University Hospital and joined the Duke Faculty in 2007 with an appointment as Medical Instructor and Director of the Duke Hospital Newborn Nursery.
Dr. Jackson is an exceptional education leader who works with learners across the Health Professions Programs at Duke. He spent many years working with the Department of Pediatrics UME committee and went on to serve as Associate Director of Pediatric Undergraduate Medical Education and Pediatric Sub Internship Director. He brings a track record of excellence focused on innovative longitudinal learning curricula. He served as the founding Associate Director for the Primary Care Leadership Track Program helping to establish Duke’s first Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship for students interested in Primary Care. He also served on the Executive Committee of the School of Medicine Master of Biomedical Sciences Program as founding Associate Director and Academic Advisor. He is an educator at heart and has a passion for establishing evidence based relational learning opportunities for students, faculty, and staff. Given his strong interest in Professional Formation, Dr. Jackson has further demonstrated his education leadership expertise with various roles including Co Director for a course entitled, Essentials of Health Practice and Professional Development and as Vice Chief of Education where he focused on mentorship and faculty development initiatives for the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health.
Dr. Jackson is a gifted teacher and member of Duke AHEAD, the Academy for Health Profession Education and Academic Development at Duke University. He is also actively engaged with the Research and Scholarship Collaborative of the Counsel of Medical Student Education in Pediatrics. Dr. Jackson’s scholarly interests are focused on Belonging, Professional Identity Formation, and Shame across the Health Professions training continuum. He has instructed and inspired a myriad of learners and educators both across the country and internationally thru workshops, seminars, and Grand Rounds presentations for educational entities including the Counsel on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP), the Pediatric Academic Society (PAS), the Consortium of Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (CLIC), and the International Association of Medical Educators (AMEE).
As a clinician educator, Dr. Jackson’s curiosities are fueled as he manages the developmental progress of his patients and learners over time. He continues to manage a panel of more than 1400 patients while striving daily to engage each family with respect and cultural sensitivity. His satisfaction scores remain above the 97th percentile as he provides exceptional care to highly fragile and medically complex patients. He remains a strong advocate for his patients and serves as both mentor and advisor for many learners and colleagues. He was awarded the Duke University School of Medicine Professionalism Award and graduated from the Academic Pediatric Association Education Scholars Program. Dr. Jackson was also inducted into the National Academy of Distinguished Educators in Pediatrics. Aptly described in the local paper as “Father of Five (now six) and Pediatrician of Many,” Dr. Jackson’s life passions are stirred as he interacts with his family, patients, learners, and colleagues over time.
The Miller Sarkin lecture is named in honor of two COMSEP presidents, Dr. Steven Z. Miller and Dr. Richard T. Sarkin, who died in a plane crash in 2004. Two individuals who dedicated their lives to training the pediatricians of tomorrow, Dr. Miller and Dr. Sarkin were humanistic creative educators and revered by the entire COMSEP and pediatric community.
