As the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education at The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Dr. Farnan is responsible for the overall development, implementation, and ongoing renewal of the medical students’ educational program, their performance within the program (testing and assessment), program evaluation, staffing, and accreditation. The Associate Dean provides leadership and guidance to the Assistant Dean, faculty course and clerkship directors, and the staff of the Office of Medical School Education.
As Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education and an experienced qualitative researcher at the University of Chicago, Dr. Farnan has focused her career on research and scholarship in health professions education. She has used qualitative research methods to examine patient safety issues (handoffs, supervision) and study the relationship between social media and professionalism. Her work has resulted in more than 100 publications—including several book chapters—and numerous invited speaking presentations.
With her Masters in Health Professions Education, she has received formal training in adult learning theory and designing and evaluating educational interventions.
Clinically, Dr. Farnan practices as an academic hospitalist and works with Internal Medicine housestaff.
Lessons Learned From the Liver About the Undergraduate to Graduate Medical Education Transition.
Lessons Learned From the Liver About the Undergraduate to Graduate Medical Education Transition. Am J Med Open. 2025 Jun; 13:100079.
PMID: 39817205
Development and Implementation of an Experiential Longitudinal Health Systems Science Thread Into an Existing Medical School Curriculum.
Development and Implementation of an Experiential Longitudinal Health Systems Science Thread Into an Existing Medical School Curriculum. Acad Med. 2024 Sep 01; 99(9):971-975.
PMID: 38865283
Parental leave, childcare policies, and workplace bias for hepatology professionals: A national survey.
Parental leave, childcare policies, and workplace bias for hepatology professionals: A national survey. Hepatol Commun. 2023 09 01; 7(9).
PMID: 37639705
Transition to Residency: National Study of Factors Contributing to Variability in Learner Milestones Ratings in Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine.
Transition to Residency: National Study of Factors Contributing to Variability in Learner Milestones Ratings in Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine. Acad Med. 2023 11 01; 98(11S):S123-S132.
PMID: 37983405
Transition to Residency: National Study of Factors Contributing to Variability in Learner Milestones Ratings in Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine.
Transition to Residency: National Study of Factors Contributing to Variability in Learner Milestones Ratings in Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine. Acad Med. 2023 11 01; 98(11S):S123-S132.
PMID: 37556818
Emergency Department Preparedness to Care for Sexual Assault Survivors: A Nationwide Study.
Emergency Department Preparedness to Care for Sexual Assault Survivors: A Nationwide Study. West J Emerg Med. 2023 Apr 26; 24(3):629-636.
PMID: 37278801
Advice and perspectives from navigating the couples match in otolaryngology: A qualitative pilot study.
Advice and perspectives from navigating the couples match in otolaryngology: A qualitative pilot study. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2023 Jun; 8(3):693-698.
PMID: 37342108
Restoring Trust in Science and Medicine: Empowering and Educating Future Physicians in Science Communication With the Public.
Restoring Trust in Science and Medicine: Empowering and Educating Future Physicians in Science Communication With the Public. Acad Med. 2023 06 01; 98(6S):S30-S33.
PMID: 36811980
The Association Between USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge Scores and Residency Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
The Association Between USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge Scores and Residency Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Acad Med. 2023 02 01; 98(2):264-273.
PMID: 36512984
A Qualitative Study of Preclinical Medical Students Randomized to Patient-Partnered vs Traditional Clinical Experiences.
A Qualitative Study of Preclinical Medical Students Randomized to Patient-Partnered vs Traditional Clinical Experiences. J Patient Cent Res Rev. 2022; 9(4):290-297.
PMID: 36340569