About

Heather E. Harrell, MD, FACP, is a Professor of Medicine and the Associate Dean of Medical Education at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She is a board-certified general internist who earned her BA, BS, and MD with honors from the University of Florida, where she received numerous awards including election to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and the John Gorrie Award for the best all-around student showing promise of becoming a high-quality practitioner. Dr. Harrell trained in internal medicine at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston and completed the Master Educators of Medical Education Program at the University of Florida. She maintains an active clinical practice and has been recognized as a Master Clinician by the Department of Medicine and has been voted into Best Doctors in America annually since 2007. Her teaching involvement spans all four years of the medical curriculum, and she has been recognized as one of the College of Medicine’s exemplary teachers every year she has been eligible. She is a member of the College of Medicine’s Society of Teaching Scholars, the Chapman Chapter of the Gold Humanism Society, and is an Outstanding Young Alumna of the University of Florida. Under her leadership as clerkship director, the Department of Medicine won the Golden Apple award for the best clinical clerkship seven times, and she received a Lifetime Mentor Award from her department. Her expertise includes curriculum design, implementation, and assessment at both local and national levels, and she has contributed to the development of curricula for program directors and incorporated portfolios into clinical years. She was awarded the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine Louis N. Pangaro, MD Educational Program Development Award for her work. More recently, her focus has shifted to teaching high-value care to medical students, including creating a national curriculum sponsored by the ACP, AAIM, and MedU (Aquifer), where she serves as the Senior Director of the Aquifer High Value Care interdisciplinary virtual patient course. Dr. Harrell is active in many professional organizations, including serving as past-president of the Clerkship Directors of Internal Medicine.

Research topics

• Internal medicine
• Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Family medicine
• Pathology

Selected publications

• Bridging Care: A Comprehensive Approach to Social Determinants of Health Referrals at Student-Run Free Clinic

  Journal of General Internal Medicine · 2026-01-21

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Predictive Modeling to Support Student Success on Step 2 Clinical Knowledge: A Multi-Cohort Model

  Medical Science Educator · 2026-01-26

  article
  PublisherDOI

• The Impact of a Student-Led High Value Care Competition on Medical Student Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice

  Journal of Student-Run Clinics · 2025-07-14

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Background: Integrating value-based care into medical education poses a significant challenge to academic medical institutions. Studies show that incorporating high value care education early in medical training is critical for fostering cost-conscious care. Although prior initiatives have incorporated principles of high value care into the clinical setting, there are limitations in improving the critical thinking of student clinicians at the individual level. However, student-run clinics offer a unique, hands-on opportunity for medical students to apply high value care and quality improvement principles to improve patient care. Methods: Medical students collaborated with the University of Florida College of Medicine’s (UFCOM) Equal Access Clinic Network (EACN) and the UFCOM administration to design and host a High Value Care Competition. The competition prompted participants to develop project proposals that improve value-based care delivery at EACN. Results: Six teams and one individual (17 students) participated in the first iteration of the competition. A survey administered one week following the competition reflected that the majority of the teams were inspired to think more critically about the healthcare system and connect with like-minded students, faculty, and stakeholders. Surveys administered after nine months reflected progress in project implementation, attesting to the success of the High Value Care Competition in increasing student involvement with value-based care. Project redundancy, lack of stakeholder engagement, and external time pressures were identified as obstacles. Conclusions: This study engaged students in considering value-based care, with most participants reporting increased system awareness and collaboration. Future iterations will focus on arranging a pre-competition consultation with EACN stakeholders, and connecting teams with faculty mentorship. We intend to offer this competition as an optional capstone project for students interested in the Health Systems Science curriculum, as well as expand the competition to other student-run health programs at the university.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Pilot Study of Medical Student Opinions on Large Language Models

  Cureus · 2024-10-20 · 9 citations

  articleOpen access

  Introduction Artificial intelligence (AI) has long garnered significant interest in the medical field. Large language models (LLMs) have popularized the use of AI for the public through chatbots such as ChatGPT and have become an easily accessible and recognizable medical resource for medical students. Here, we investigate how medical students are currently utilizing LLM-based tools throughout medical education and examine medical student perception of these tools. Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered to current medical students at the University of Florida College of Medicine (UFCOM) in January 2024 discussing the utilization of AI and LLM tools and perspectives on the current and future role of AI in medicine. Results All 102 respondents reported having heard of LLM-based chatbots such as ChatGPT, Bard, Bing Chat, and Claude. Sixty-nine percent (69%; 70/102) of respondents reported having used them for medical-related purposes at least once a month. Seventy-seven point one percent (77.1%; 54/70) reported the information provided by them to be very accurate or somewhat accurate, and 80% (55/70) reported that they were likely to continue using them in their future medical practice. Those with some baseline understanding of and exposure to AI were 3.26 (p=0.020) and 4.30 (p=0.002) times more likely to have used an LLM-based chatbot, respectively, and 5.06 (p=0.021) and 3.38 (p=0.039) times more likely to cross-check information obtained from them, respectively, compared to those with little to no baseline understanding or exposure. Furthermore, those with some exposure to AI in medical school were 2.70 (p=0.039) and 4.61 (p=0.0004) times more likely to trust AI with clinical decision-making currently and in the next 5 years, respectively, than those with little to no exposure. Those who had used an LLM-based chatbot were 4.31 (p=0.019) times more likely to trust AI with clinical decision-making currently compared to those who had not used one. Conclusion LLM-based chatbots, such as ChatGPT, are not only making their way into the medical student repertoire of study resources but are also being utilized in the setting of patient care and research. Medical students who participated in the survey generally had a positive perception of LLM-based chatbots and reported they were likely to continue using them in the future. Previous AI knowledge and exposure correlated with more conscientious use of these tools such as cross-checking information. Combined with our finding that all respondents believed AI should be taught in the medical curriculum, our study highlights a key opportunity in medical education to acclimate medical students to AI now.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Physical Examination in the Evaluation of Dementia

  Medical Clinics of North America · 2022 · 11 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Medicine
  • Psychiatry
  • Family medicine
  PublisherDOI

• Impact of Match Violations on Applicants’ Perceptions and Rankings of Residency Programs

  Cureus · 2021-01-20 · 4 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Introduction The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) requires all Match participants to adhere to a strict code of conduct known as the Match Participation Agreement, yet Match violations continue to occur. We sought to determine how interview experiences, including Match violations, impact applicants' perceptions and rankings of residency programs. Methods An electronic survey was sent to all accredited medical school Deans of Student Affairs and Association of American Medical Colleges Student Representatives for distribution to fourth-year medical students. Questions assessed pressures that residency programs placed on applicants during interview season and their impact on applicants. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Results Of the 433 included respondents, 31.2% (n = 135) reported breaches of the NRMP Match Participation Agreement. Of those, 63% (n = 85) had a negative perception of the violating programs, and 37.8% (n = 51) were less likely to rank those programs highly. Violations included asking applicants about the locations of their other interviews (60.3%, n = 261), pressuring applicants to reveal their ranking (24.0%, n = 104), explicitly requesting applicants to reveal their ranking (6.5%, n = 28), asking applicants to provide a commitment before Match day (3.9%, n = 17), and other behavior that was felt to ignore the spirit of the Match (16.4%, n = 71). Implying that applicants would match into a program if they ranked it highly (37.2%, n = 161) was received positively by 65.2% (n = 105) of applicants experiencing this breach, with 42.2% (n = 68) ranking the program more highly. Three major themes impacting applicants' impressions of residency programs emerged from the qualitative data: interview experience, professionalism, and post-interview communication (PIC). Respondents overwhelmingly agreed that PIC should either be eliminated or that programs should set clear expectations for PIC. Conclusions Match violations continue to occur, despite the NRMP Match Participation Agreement. With the notable exception of communication implying that applicants would match into a program, applicants overwhelmingly view programs that commit these violations negatively and often rank these programs lower as a result.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Current and Optimal Training in High-Value Care in the Internal Medicine Clerkship: A National Curricular Needs Assessment

  UNC Libraries · 2019-11-13 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  Purpose: The clinical skills needed to practice high-value care (HVC) are core to all medical disciplines. Medical students form practice habits early, and HVC instruction is essential to this formation. The purpose of this study was to describe the state of HVC instruction and assessment in internal medicine clerkships and identify needs for additional curricula. Method: In 2014, the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine conducted its annual survey of 121 U.S. and Canadian medical schools. The authors evaluated a subset of questions from that survey asking clerkship directors about the perceived importance of HVC instruction, type and amount of formal instruction and assessment, achievement of student competence, prioritization of topics, and barriers to curriculum implementation. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses, and chi-square tests were used to examine associations between response categories. Results: The overall response rate was 77.7% (94/121). The majority (85; 91.4%) agreed that medical schools have a responsibility to teach about HVC across all phases of the curriculum. Of respondents, 31 (32.9%) reported their curricula as having some formal instruction on HVC, and 66 (70.2%) felt the amount was inadequate. Highest-priority topics for inclusion included overuse of diagnostic tests and treatments, defining value and its application to clinical reasoning, and balancing benefit and harm. Only 11 (17.8%) assessed students’ competence in HVC. Conclusions: Internal medicine clerkship directors reported that HVC is insufficiently taught and assessed in medical school, despite relevance to practice. Developing generalizable curricular materials, faculty development, and dedicated curricular time may enhance HVC education.

  PublisherDOI

• Validity Evidence for a Brief Online Key Features Examination in the Internal Medicine Clerkship

  Academic Medicine · 2018-10-31 · 8 citations

  articleOpen access

  PURPOSE: Medical educators use key features examinations (KFEs) to assess clinical decision making in many countries, but not in U.S. medical schools. The authors developed an online KFE to assess third-year medical students' decision-making abilities during internal medicine (IM) clerkships in the United States. They used Messick's unified validity framework to gather validity evidence regarding response process, internal structure, and relationship to other variables. METHOD: From February 2012 through January 2013, 759 students (at eight U.S. medical schools) had 75 minutes to complete one of four KFE forms during their IM clerkship. They also completed a survey regarding their experiences. The authors performed item analyses and generalizability studies, comparing KFE scores with prior clinical experience and National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Examination (NBME-SE) scores. RESULTS: Five hundred fifteen (67.9%) students consented to participate. Across KFE forms, mean scores ranged from 54.6% to 60.3% (standard deviation 8.4-9.6%), and Phi-coefficients ranged from 0.36 to 0.52. Adding five cases to the most reliable form would increase the Phi-coefficient to 0.59. Removing the least discriminating case from the two most reliable forms would increase the alpha coefficient to, respectively, 0.58 and 0.57. The main source of variance came from the interaction of students (nested in schools) and cases. Correlation between KFE and NBME-SE scores ranged from 0.24 to 0.47 (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: These results provide strong evidence for response-process and relationship-to-other-variables validity and moderate internal structure validity for using a KFE to complement other assessments in U.S. IM clerkships.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Current and Optimal Training in High-Value Care in the Internal Medicine Clerkship: A National Curricular Needs Assessment

  Academic Medicine · 2018-03-06 · 31 citations

  articleOpen access

  PURPOSE: The clinical skills needed to practice high-value care (HVC) are core to all medical disciplines. Medical students form practice habits early, and HVC instruction is essential to this formation. The purpose of this study was to describe the state of HVC instruction and assessment in internal medicine clerkships and identify needs for additional curricula. METHOD: In 2014, the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine conducted its annual survey of 121 U.S. and Canadian medical schools. The authors evaluated a subset of questions from that survey asking clerkship directors about the perceived importance of HVC instruction, type and amount of formal instruction and assessment, achievement of student competence, prioritization of topics, and barriers to curriculum implementation. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses, and chi-square tests were used to examine associations between response categories. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 77.7% (94/121). The majority (85; 91.4%) agreed that medical schools have a responsibility to teach about HVC across all phases of the curriculum. Of respondents, 31 (32.9%) reported their curricula as having some formal instruction on HVC, and 66 (70.2%) felt the amount was inadequate. Highest-priority topics for inclusion included overuse of diagnostic tests and treatments, defining value and its application to clinical reasoning, and balancing benefit and harm. Only 11 (17.8%) assessed students' competence in HVC. CONCLUSIONS: Internal medicine clerkship directors reported that HVC is insufficiently taught and assessed in medical school, despite relevance to practice. Developing generalizable curricular materials, faculty development, and dedicated curricular time may enhance HVC education.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Children Need Sufficient Time to Eat School Lunch

  American Journal of Public Health · 2017-01-11 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  The article discusses the author's claim that children in America need sufficient time to eat their school lunches as of 2017, and it mentions concerns about childhood obesity and the consumption of fruits and vegetables, The U.S. National School Lunch Program's regulations regarding nutrition and eligibility for free and reduced-price meals are addressed, along with human dignity and children's health and education in America. Conversation skills and learning are assessed.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• D. Michael Elnicki

  University of Pittsburgh

  64 shared

• Gregory C. Kane

  Thomas Jefferson University

  57 shared

• Meenakshy Aiyer

  Peoria Hospital

  56 shared

• Maria L. Cannarozzi

  University of Central Florida

  53 shared

• Martin Muntz

  Medical College of Wisconsin

  51 shared

• Saumil M. Chudgar

  Duke University Health System

  51 shared

• Emily Stewart

  Casa Esperanza

  51 shared

• Laura Rees Willett

  Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  49 shared

Labs

• Harrell LabPI

Education

• M.D.

  University of Florida

• Other

  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Awards & honors

• Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society
• John Gorrie Award for the “best all-around student showing p…
• Master Clinician by the Department of Medicine
• Best Doctors in America (yearly since 2007)
• Golden Apple for best clinical clerkship (seven times)