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Innovative methods empower future leaders

When Lia Logio, MD, was appointed vice dean for medical education at �Ǹ���� School of Medicine in the summer of 2020, she stepped into her “dream job.” Known for her energetic and creative approach, Logio embraced the school’s culture and pioneering legacy of innovation in medical education shaped by visionary Jack Caughey, MD.

Jack Caughey

Caughey, who served as the medical school’s first assistant dean of students from 1952 until his retirement in 1974, transformed medical education with the Western Reserve Curriculum— moving students from rote memorization to problem solving by integrating basic sciences with clinical practice. This revolutionary approach balanced medical science with compassionate patient care and was adopted nationally and internationally—forever changing how physicians are trained.

“He was unafraid to try new things and think outside the box,” said Logio. “He was ahead of his time in terms of a creative approach to education.”

To honor his enduring contributions, alumni and friends established an endowed professorship in Caughey’s name. As the John L. Caughey Jr., MD, Professor of Medicine for Medical Education, Logio supports advances in teaching and responds to the changing healthcare landscape.

“Endowed professorships honor and support our best and brightest faculty,” said Stan Gerson, MD, dean of the School of Medicine. “This endowed professorship supports one of our most outstanding faculty members—Dr. Lia Logio—for her leadership in medical education.”

Throughout her time at CWRU, Logio has carried on Caughey’s legacy of innovation, and her impact on enriching students’ experiences is evident. Her initiatives include expanding the academic societies; piloting a program with local senior citizens for students to have early clinical experience; increasing Simulation Center opportunities; growing the pathway programs to include global health, climate, addiction medicine, advocacy and public health; and developing the Center for Medical Education to support faculty development.

‘Bent arrows’ provide valuable perspectives

Two initiatives enacted under Logio’s leadership—the creation of the Zubizarreta Immersive Learning Suite and the adoption of the Lyceum electronic health record platform—uniquely position the school at the forefront of medical education, offering students like A ‘creative approach’ Innovative methods empower future leaders Jack Caughey first-year medical student Sara Lytle immersive, hands-on experiences.

With prior degrees in political science, sustainable development and environmental engineering, Lytle already had a career as a climate scientist. But her experience with a debilitating, undiagnosed case of endometriosis shifted her focus to medicine.

Lytle’s later-in-life entry to medical school may be unconventional for many places. But at Case Western Reserve, she fits right in, thanks to the School of Medicine’s long history of admitting students from nontraditional backgrounds—a practice Caughey established more than 80 years ago. Caughey called these students “bent arrows,” a term applied to those whose paths are less direct to medical school than many of their peers.

“‘Bent arrow’ students enrich our student body with their unique perspectives and life experiences, fostering an inclusive environment where innovation in medical education thrives alongside compassionate patient care,” said Logio.

In her first year, Lytle has been impressed by the school’s innovative curriculum.

“It’s very social. Very little of it is sitting down, being quiet and taking notes,” she said. Rather than traditional lectures, Lytle has ample opportunities for hands-on learning and direct patient interaction.

This patient-centered focus— instilled by Caughey decades ago and now continuing under Logio’s leadership—aligns with Lytle’s motivations for pursuing medicine. “I never want to lose sight of why I came here,” she said. “And so far, [CWRU] has made that pretty easy.”

Originally published in the winter 2024-2025 issue of Forward Thinking magazine