Dr. Sarah Burm, PhD

Education

• PhD (Western University)
• MEd (Western University)
• BEd (University of Ottawa)
• BA (Wilfrid Laurier University)

Brief bio

Dr. Sarah Burm is an Assistant Professor and Education Research Scientist in the Office of Continuing Professional Development and Medical Education at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She has a PhD in Educational Studies from Western University. A qualitative researcher, Dr. Burm’s current research critically explores the social, cultural, and ethical complexities of advancing institutional and curricular change in medicine and the impact these changes can have on physicians’ and learners’ professional identity formation and wellbeing. Her work has been funded by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and Nova Scotia Health.

Dr. Burm is a passionate educator with experience teaching on a wide range of topics including qualitative research design and writing for scholarly publication. Most recently, she was awarded the Early Career Medical Education Champion Award for her commitment to advancing the growth, success, and recognition of fellow early career medical educators. She welcomes medical trainees, graduate students, and clinicians interested in pursuing medical education research to contact her for a one-on-one consultation.

Select Recent Publications:

MacLeod, A., Luong, V., Cameron, P., Burm, S., Field, S., Kits, O., Miller, S., & Stewart, W.  (2023). Case-informed learning in medical education: A call for ontological fidelity. Perspectives on Medical Education. 12(1): 120–128.

Burm, S., Deagle, S., Watling, C., Wylie, L., & Alcock, D. (2022). Navigating the burden of proof and responsibility: A narrative inquiry into Indigenous medical learners’ experiences. Medical Education. Published ahead of print.

Burleigh, D. & Burm, S. Doing duoethnography: Addressing essential methodological questions. (2022). International Journal of Qualitative Methods. 21. 1-8.

Burm, S., Cristancho, S., Watling, C., & LaDonna, K.A. (2022). Expanding the advocacy lens: Using photo-elicitation to capture patients’ and physicians’ perspectives about health advocacy. Advances in Health Sciences Education. Published ahead of print.

Kilbertus, F., King, K., Robinson, S., Cristancho, S., & Burm, S. (2022). Understanding palliative care learning: A narrative inquiry exploring health care professionals’ memorable experiences. SSM – Qualitative Research in Health. 2, 1-9.

Melro, C., Abraham, Z., & Burm, S. (2022). Seven ways to get a grip on optimally preparing for and executing an inclusive virtual multiple mini-interview experience. Canadian Medical Education Journal. 13(2), 77-81.

Luong, V., Burm, S., Bogie, B., Cowley, L., Klasen, J. & MacLeod, A., LaDonna, K.A. (2022). A phenomenological study of the impact of COVID-19 on the medical education community. Medical Education. 56(8), 815-822.

Burm, S., Luong, V., LaDonna, K.A., Bogie, B., Cowley, L., Klasen, J. & MacLeod, A. (2022). From struggle to opportunity: Reimagining medical education in a pandemic era. Perspectives on Medical Education. 11, 115-120.

Burm, S. & Burleigh, D. (2022). A settler duoethnography about allyship in an era of reconciliation.  Alberta Journal of Educational Research 68(2), 176-190.

Endres, K., Burm, S., Weiman, D., Karol, D., Dudek, N., Cowley, L., & LaDonna, K. A. (2022). Navigating the uncertainty of health advocacy teaching and evaluation from the trainee’s perspective. Medical Teacher 44(1), 79-86.

LaDonna, K. A., Watling, C.W. Cristancho, S.W. & Burm, S. (2021). Exploring patients’ and physicians’ perspectives about competent health advocacy. Medical Education 55(4), 486-495.

Klasen, J., Vithyapathy, A., Zante, B., & Burm, S. (2020). ‘The storm has arrived’ – The impact of SARS CoV-2 on medical students. Perspectives on Medical Education 9(3), 181-185.

Burm, S. & MacLeod, A. (2020). Focus on methodology: A sense of sociomaterialism: How sociomaterial perspectives might illuminate health professions education. Focus on Health Professional Education: A Multi-Professional Journal (FoHPE). 21(1), 1-12.

Book Chapters

Burm, S., Doyle, C., & Rideout, A. (2023). Medical School Admissions. In A. MacLeod, A. & L. Varpio (Eds.) A Thunderous Chorus of Unheard Voices. Kern Institute Press. (forthcoming).

MacLeod, A. Burm, S. & Mann, K. (2022). Constructivism: Learning theories and approaches to research. In J. Cleland & S.J. Durning (Eds.) Researching Medical Education. (2^nd ed.). (pp. 25-40) John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Awards and Honours:

2022: Excellence in Reviewing Award, Academic Medicine, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)

2022: Early Career Medical Educators (ECME) Champion Award, Canadian Association for Medical Education

Teaching

• Research in Medicine, Director
• Research in Medicine, Mentor
• Graduate Education, Acadia University, School of Education
•     EDUC 5673 Current Research and Theory in Curriculum

Service & Activities:

Member, Faculty Council
Member, Dalhousie University Health Sciences Research Ethics Board
Co-Chair, Early Career Medical Educators Awards Committee, Canadian Association for Medical Education
Section Editor, Brief Reports, Canadian Medical Education Journal