A Sparkling Achievement: Sarah Atwood Celebrated as a 2024 CPD Forty Under 40
January 8, 2025 | Alliance2025, CME, CPD, healthcare, medical education
For Sarah Atwood, MPH, the proudest moment of her incredible career in education and instructional design is happening right now. Atwood is an instructional designer with a public health lens who is passionate about designing human-centered healthcare education to improve patient outcomes and community health. With a passion for reflecting on learning science to understand how we learn, change, and grow, Atwood is using evidence-based instructional design techniques to build education that will support people in their lives.
Atwood, Associate Director, of Learning Design at Medscape Education, was recently awarded the prestigious designation of being one of the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions’ 2024 CPD Forty under 40. But if being recognized as one of the IME industry’s shining stars wasn’t enough, Atwood points to being at a particularly rewarding position at Medscape.
“I am currently leading an initiative at Medscape where we’ve designed an innovative instructional design framework – entirely grounded in learning science – and we are embedding it into every aspect of our workflow. The ways this initiative will enrich the quality of our curricula and strengthen outcomes are remarkable. But what I’ve enjoyed most is the opportunity to apply design thinking, organizational change management, and adult learning principles on such a large scale. It’s been a rewarding challenge and allowed me to develop meaningful relationships with creative colleagues who share my passion for education. And seeing how instructional design values align with Medscape’s business objectives has been incredibly fulfilling. I think it speaks to our strong vision for 2025!”
Leading a team of three at Medscape Education is an important part of her day as someone who gets energized when she gets to collaborate with colleagues on cross-functional projects.
“I love my job at Medscape – I feel fortunate to design and develop content both for clinician and patient education, AND work on instructional design strategy for the organization in collaboration with some amazing leaders (including my manager who has been a wonderful mentor). Leading a team of three learning designers is one of the highlights of my role – they are smart, innovative, thoughtful, creative, and generous.”
Atwood has an extensive work history in communication, education, and instructional design, beginning her career with patient and caregiver education before moving into instructional design and independent medical education. As her work continues to evolve, Atwood credits one of her mentors for helping her find her passion and place in education.
“After many years working directly with patients, caregivers, and clinicians and developing education programs within healthcare organizations, I then decided to shift gears into managing healthcare clinics, as that is where I thought I would have the greatest impact in influencing patient care. While I learned a lot and it was an excellent experience, I realized that it wasn’t the best fit. During this period of reflection, a wise mentor encouraged me to consider the question “What do I like and what am I good at?” as an approach to my career development. I realized quickly that instructional design in healthcare education is really where my strengths and experience could shine, leveraging my skills in communication, public health, and curriculum design.”
For Atwood, the patient education aspect of medical education is an important part of the total equation for better care – and it’s a philosophy that Medscape embraces as well.
“To most effectively close healthcare gaps, we should address both the patient and clinician gaps simultaneously. It’s essential that our education for both audiences is robust and hyper-focused on the root causes, and that activities and resources are fit for purpose and built to reinforce one another.”
As she continues to grow in her life and career, Atwood looks forward to a bright future not only for herself but for HCPs and patients everywhere. When asked about what the next 30 years might hold for the IME industry, Atwood commented, “I see us getting closer and closer to a future where health equity and patient-centricity are at the forefront of educational development, and where clinician and patient education are well aligned to close healthcare gaps. I’m excited about the opportunities here – a key principle ingrained in me from my background in public health and community organizing is the importance of engaging stakeholders from the start and doing so meaningfully. I feel excited envisioning a world in which all IME activities actively involve people with lived experience throughout the program development process, to create more relevant and effective education.”
A bright future for Atwood means following a simple philosophy that many Alliance members may recognize. “At the 2024 Alliance conference, closing speaker Sonia Narang shared the importance of “glimmers”– small moments of joy or peace that arise from appreciating simple things. The practice of noticing and appreciating glimmers can cue our nervous system to relax and have a positive effect on mental health. That message stuck with me – especially at work I’ve found it rewarding to celebrate the small successes and build authentic connections with colleagues, especially during moments that feel stressful. I’m looking forward to the 2025 conference with all the great insights that are sure to be shared.”
And what are some of the ‘glimmers’ that Atwood looks forward to outside of the office?
“I’m an outdoor enthusiast who likes to hike with my family and dig in the sand at the beach or lake with my preschooler. Community is very important to me, and I love building relationships with my neighbors and spending time with friends.”
For more information, please contact your Medscape representative.
This content was provided by Medscape Education
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