Latifa L. Sanhaji, MD

Associate Professor, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging
Associate Program Director, Radiology Residency Program
UTHealth – McGovern Medical School

Email:  [email protected]
Phone:  713-500-7706

Educational Teaching Philosophy

My educational philosophy has always been anchored in the belief that successful teaching involves cognitively connecting with, engaging, and holistically supporting the learner in the exciting journey of discovery, understanding and mastery of new concepts that will ultimately save lives.

Continuous medical education allows me to stay up to date on the leading-edge clinical knowledge that I share with my learners.  In addition, I believe that the non-clinical aspects of our profession should also be reinforced, particularly ethics, professional identity, interdisciplinary collaboration, compassion, empathy, and the pursuit of wellness. To engage the learner, I aim to use evidence-based techniques in providing information, assessing retention, and helping struggling students. Assessing the efficiency of these methods through learner’s progress and feedback is part of my self-evaluation. Frequent multimethod assessment of the learner’s competencies interrogating knowledge, skills, values, and behavior, with respect to defined milestones, as well as through the SMART goals framework and targeted coaching are all components of the medical education that I thrive to provide. I view my role as facilitating the learner’s sustained engagement with the ever-increasing amount of knowledge to be acquired.

Vision, enthusiasm, and the desire to share knowledge are paramount for the success of the teaching mission and an integral part of my teaching philosophy. The search for connection along with respect for learners’ differences provides a psychologically safe learning environment helping the student to engage and pursue their lifelong learning adventure.

Modeling compassion and empathy, using evidence-based teaching techniques, allows a holistic approach to educating knowledgeable, engaged, and emotionally healthy students and residents, which will be the mindful and competent tomorrow’s physicians.

Past and Current Educational Activities:

  • Daily teaching, training and supervision of Radiology residents and fellows at the workstation, with modalities including x-ray imaging, MRI, CT and Ultrasound.
  • One-on-one ER radiology case presentations with continuous as well as formal final evaluation of first year residents during LBJ ER rotations to prepare them for 2nd year calls
  • Development and update of Emergency Radiology educational material, including creation of a database of cases for first-year residents to review independently.
  • Regular update of a Guide for First Year Resident Rotation at LBJ ER detailing work duties and learning requirements to ease apprehension and clarify expectations.
  • Noon Conference Lectures for Residents and Fellows and fundamental Lecture for first-year residents on Basics in Emergency Radiology.
  • Wellness Bootcamp for first-year residents during orientation week to suggest good habits for physical, emotional, academic, and professional self-care.
  • Supervision of residents in preparation of abstracts and electronic posters.
  • Teaching technologists at the workstation: CT/MRI technologists.
  • Interviews of Medical Students applicants, Radiology Residents applicants and Radiology Faculty applicants
  • Invited Guest speaker at the American Medical Women’s Association Student Chapter at McGovern Medical School, 2018 and 2019.
  • Break room moderator and speaker. Rad-Aid Annual Conferences
  • Reviewer for Academic Radiology
  • Faculty supervisor of a Bluebook extra-curricular activity at McGovern Medical School: “High Yield Radiologic Correlations for Medical Students” 2022 to present.

MENTORING ACTIVITIES:

  • UT McGovern Medical School Freeman Society Leader, serving also as mentor, 2017-2020.
  • Numerous McGovern Medical Student Educational Project Supervision
  • Mentoring Medical Students interested in Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging:
  • Mentoring International Students and Residents:
  • Academic and Wellness Mentoring of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging residents, R1 through R4.
  • Leader of mentorship committee for Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging
  • American Society of Emergency Radiology Mentor-Mentee program for the Texas area, 2016-present
  • AMWA mentor

Areas of Expertise and Personal Interest:

  • Emergency Radiology:
    • Lead of Emergency Radiology Day Services at LBJ Hospital
    • Academic interest in non-trauma emergencies of the torso and extremities.
  • Radiology Education:
    • Associate Program Director for the Radiology Residents
    • Residents’ Evaluation of the Emergency Radiology Rotation at LBJ Hospital
    • Clinical Competency Committee Member
    • Curriculum Committee Member
    • Program Evaluation Committee Chair
    • Radiology Residency Selection Committee Member
    • Clinical Educator Track for Residents – Co-Director
    • Design and implementation of a Bluebook series for Medical Students (High Yield Radiology Correlates)
    • Design and implementation of curriculum and lecture series for Moroccan radiologists
    • Organization of semiannual interactive workshops between our residents and international residents
    • Reviewer for “Academic Radiology”
  • Physician Wellness and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging:
    • Former Member of the McGovern Medical School GME Taskforce for Diversity and Wellness
    • Member of the Executive Council of the Association of University Radiologists (AUR) Leaders in Advocating Diversity & Inclusion in Radiology (LADIR) (national organization)
    • Lead of the Interest Group on Research and Equity of the LADIR committee for Association of University Radiologists
    • Wellness Mentor for Medical Students
    • Wellness Officer for Radiology Residents
    • Faculty advisor for the Peer-to-Peer mentoring program for the residents
    • Council for the Women Faculty Forum at UTHealth (2016-2020)
    • Memorial Herman Hospital Systems Wellness Committee Member
    • Lectures and workshops on Wellbeing and Diversity for Radiology Residents
    • Mentorship:
      • DII Radiology Residents
      • Radiology Interest Group Medical Students
      • McGovern Medical School Society Leader (2017-2020)
      • AMWA
      • ASER mentor for the Texas area
      • International medical students and radiology residents
  • Global Heath Radiology:
    • Rad-Aid certified in proficiency in Global Health Radiology
    • Member of the McGovern Medical School Center for Global Health at McGovern – Sponsoring committee for Consortium of Universities for Global health – CUGH 2021, 2022
    • Rad-Aid UTHealth McGovern Medical School Chapter Leader since 2016
    • Mission trips to Morocco in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019
    • Design and implementation of lecture series for Moroccan practicing radiologists
    • Design and implementation of formal curriculum for Moroccan residents
    • Organization of semiannual interactive workshops with Moroccan and our residents
  • Disaster and Mass Casualty Preparedness in Radiology:
    • FEMA, US Department of National Security, Training in 2017
    • Member of the working group for Radiology in the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine
    • HCMS Emergency Care Committee, 2017-present
    • LBJ ED Radiology Disaster Preparedness Leader 2017-present

Honors/Award/Appointments:

  • Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award 2020
  • Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award 2021
  • Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award 2022
  • Health Educator Fellowship Program Graduate, expected July 2023

Selected Educational Scholarly Activities (please refer to CV for entire list):

         Publications

Analyzing the Landscape of the 2021 Virtual Match: A Nationwide Survey of Radiology Programs’ Stakeholders. Serageldin Kamel, Mindy X Wang, Jeffrey Guccione, Xu Zhang, Ahmed Taher, Latifa Sanhaji, Peggy Hsieh, Emma Ferguson, Khaled M. Elsayes. Acad Radiol. 2021 Dec 2:S1076-6332(21)00527-4.

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) McGovern RAD-AID Chapter in Morocco | American College of Radiology (acr.org). Lynsey M. Maciolek, MD; Saagar Patel, MD and Latifa L. Sanhaji, MD. RFS ACR Newsletter, April 19, 2022

Oral Presentations

Sanhaji L. Mind and Body Skills to Fight Stress and Burnout. Invited speaker at UT McGovern Medical School Department of Pediatrics Faculty Retreat. May 18, 2016.

Fabrega M., Boyce W., Hasapes J., Sanhaji L. et al. Assessing and Improving First Year Resident Call Transition Utilizing a Case Based Boot Camp with PACS  Simulation Via Free DICOM Viewers. Presented at the ACR Annual Conference on Quality and Safety, October 13-14, 2017 in Boston, MA.

Global health Radiology, Introduction. Sanhaji L., Boyce W, Khalil S., Neuroradiology Department, Specialty Hospital, Rabat, Morocco. May 2, 2018.

Residency program overview: How We Do It. Boyce W., Khalil S, Sanhaji L. Neuroradiology Department, Specialty Hospital, Rabat, Morocco, May 2, 2018.

Residency program, Neuroradiology Rotation: How We Do It, Boyce W., Khalil S, Sanhaji L. Neuroradiology Department, Specialty Hospital, Rabat, Morocco, May 2, 2018.

Radiology Residency Program: Goals and Perspectives for Collaboration. Roundtable and discussion, facilitated by Sanhaji L., Boyce W and Khalil S Neuroradiology Department, Specialty Hospital, Rabat, Morocco, May 2, 2018.

Global Health Radiology, Introduction.  Sanhaji L., Boyce W, Khalil S., Emergency Radiology Section, Ibn Sina Hospital, Rabat, Morocco. May 3, 2018.

Medical Writing for American Journals: Requisite”, Roundtable and discussion on site, facilitated by Sanhaji L., Boyce W and Khalil S. Emergency Radiology Section, Ibn Sina Hospital, Rabat, Morocco. May 3, 2018.

Global Health Radiology, Introduction.  Sanhaji L, Boyce W, Khalil S, Radiology Main Department, Ibn Sina Hospital, Rabat, Morocco. May 4, 2018.

Residency program overview: How We Do It. Boyce W, Khalil S, Sanhaji L. Radiology Main Department, Ibn Sina Hospital, Rabat, Morocco. May 4, 2018.

Residency program, Rotation specifics: How We Do It Dr Boyce Boyce W, Khalil S, Sanhaji L. Radiology Main Department, Ibn Sina Hospital, Rabat, Morocco. May 4, 2018.

Radiology Residency Program: Goals and Perspectives for Collaboration. Roundtable and discussion. Sanhaji L, Boyce W, Khalil S., Radiology Main Department, Ibn Sina Hospital, Rabat, Morocco, May 4, 2018.

Wellness and Mentoring – McGovern Women Students Roundtable, Guest Speaker Sanhaji L. December 12, 2018, Houston, Texas

Presentation of the UTHealth Rad-Aid Chapter mission to Morocco, Balhabadra S, Mathew M, Stringham J, Gao M, Ucisik F, Sanhaji L, Houston Radiological Society Meeting, February 26, 2019. Houston, Texas

Radiology Readiness Assessment: Vaccaro J, Ucisik F, Gao M., Sanhaji L. Emergency Radiology Section, Ibn Sina Hospital, Rabat, Morocco, April 15, 2019

Groupe Franco-Marocaine de Radiology Annual Conference, L. Sanhaji – Invited Guest Speaker, May 25-28, 2023, Rabat, Morocco

Our Mission to Teach Transcends Borders, Sanhaji L., Ferguson E., Patel S., Claus L. – TEACH-S Conference, June 14, 2023.

Abstracts/Posters

Collette J, Sanhaji L. Mind Body Skills to Fight Stress and Burnout in Residents: A    Pilot Study at McGovern Medical School. UTHealth/UTMB/BCM Academies Collaborative Joint Educational Symposium. May 20, 2016

Sanhaji L, Dickey R. UTHealth Healthier, Academy Collaborative Symposium, May 12, 2017

Alhalawani R, Sanhaji L. UTHealth Radiology Residents: From Resilience to Wellbeing. Institutional and Departmental Contributions. Beyond Resiliency Training Meeting, UT MD Anderson, Houston, Texas, September 25-26, 2017

Sanhaji L, Dickey R. UTHealth Healthier, CENTILE Conference (Center for Innovation and Leadership in Education), 2017 International Conference to Promote Resilience, Empathy and Well-Being in the Health Professions: An Interprofessional Forum. Washington D.C., October 22-25, 2017

Alhalawani R, Sanhaji L. Women in Radiology: the Case of UTHealth Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging Department. AMWA 103rd Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, March 22-25, 2018

Alhalawani R, Sanhaji L. The Role of Educators in Radiology Residents Well-Being: the Case of UTHealth Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging. AUR, 66th Annual meeting, Orlando, FL, May 7-10, 2018

Stringam J, Balabhadra S, Gao M, Mathew M, Sanhaji L. Expanding Radiology Services through a Transatlantic Partnership between Houston, USA and Rabat, Morocco. 7th Annual Houston Global Health Collaborative Conference, March 8-9, 2019, Houston, Texas.

 Sanhaji L, Rubinstein A. UTHealth McGovern Rad-Aid Chapter in Morocco. Annual Rad-Aid International Conference, November 2, 2019.

Hoang B, Celli F, Sanhaji L, Ferguson E, Effectiveness of wellness interventions on residents in the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging at UTHealth during the COVID pandemic. Association of University Radiologists Conference, March 2022

Hoang B, Celli F, Sanhaji L, Ferguson E, Improving Burnout and Well-being among Radiology Residents: Impact of ACGME-Aligned Interventions during the COVID-19 Pandemic, a Single Center Experience. Association of Hospital Medical Education Virtual Institute, May 2022. Virtual Meeting.

 Sanhaji L., Ferguson E.: Customized Curricula in the Era of Global Education. How Can We Help? Association of University Radiologists 71st Annual Meeting, April 25-28, 2023, Austin, Texas

Visiting Professorship

  •  University Mohamed V School of Medicine, Rabat, Morocco. November 20-27, 2017.
  • University Mohamed V School of Medicine, Rabat, Morocco. May 2-5, 2018.
  • University Mohamed V School of Medicine, Rabat, Morocco. May 15-21, 2019.
  • University Mohamed V School of Medicine, Rabat, Morocco. April 6-10, 2020, cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Groupe Franco-Marocaine de Radiology Annual Conference, May 25-28, 2023, Rabat, Morocco, Co-President.