EP 19 Dr. Resa E. Lewiss, MD, Brown University

Feb 6

Small Skills, Better Tools, and a More Human Practice

Guest: Resa E. Lewiss, MD | Released 02/06/26

How do you build expertise in a field that keeps changing? For Dr. Resa E. Lewiss, the answer starts with small, deliberate actions. An emergency physician, point-of-care ultrasound educator, and coauthor of MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact, she joins DJ and Ethan to discuss what the history of ultrasound adoption can teach us about learning and using AI. The conversation moves from faculty development and patient communication to a practical question: is a new tool actually helping you do the work?

Dr. Lewiss remembers learning ultrasound alongside colleagues whose training had offered little exposure to it. Creating room to practice without embarrassment mattered as much as access to the equipment. That experience offers a useful starting point for AI education. Reading and listening can introduce an unfamiliar topic, but expertise also requires trying things, asking questions, and learning with people you trust. Experienced physicians bring clinical judgment and perspective to that process, even when a technology is new to them.

The MicroSkills approach makes that learning manageable. Instead of trying to master an entire field, choose a small action you can repeat and build on. Lewiss connects the idea to her own development as a writer and educator. DJ and Ethan apply it to AI: start with a bounded task, observe what happens, and decide whether to keep, modify, or abandon the approach. Curiosity matters, but so does recognizing when an experiment has stopped being useful.

The discussion then turns to design and communication. Lewiss describes how assumptions about an ultrasound examination can differ between the clinician and the person being scanned. Explaining the purpose of an examination and checking understanding are part of the work. She argues for bringing patients, caregivers, and clinicians with different backgrounds and levels of experience into the design of new tools. For AI, that means asking whose needs shaped the product and whose experience may have been overlooked.

Time saved is only part of the calculation. A tool can promise efficiency while adding editing, supervision, or frustration. Lewiss encourages an honest look at energy as well as minutes: what helps you focus, what drains you, and what belongs at a different point in your day? The group discusses meeting schedules, the pull of trying every new application, and the difficulty of walking away after investing time. Choosing a simpler approach can be a considered decision.

Before the interview, DJ and Ethan discuss the launch of ChatGPT Health and the growing role of patient-facing AI. Their opener considers how AI-generated interpretations may enter the clinical conversation, along with questions about privacy, trust, and physician judgment. Lewiss brings the episode back to the people doing that work. Learning new technology, designing it thoughtfully, and looking after yourself are connected parts of building a sustainable practice.