Webinars

Navigating Uncertainty: Preparing Clinicians to Lead with Trust, Transparency, and Respect   

October 16, 2025 | 1:00PM ET

Uncertainty is an inherent part of health care delivery, yet medical training has long emphasized certainty and definitive answers. The result is that many clinicians feel underprepared to navigate the ambiguity and complexity that define modern healthcare. At the same time, patients are increasingly approaching the medical system with skepticism or mistrust – often shaped by prior experiences, cultural differences, or systemic inequities. Professionalism in this evolving landscape requires more than technical expertise; it demands the ability to engage with uncertainty openly and responsibly, particularly as technology continues to transform care delivery. 

Join this conversation with Dimitrios Papanagnou, Lekshmi Santhosh, and Susan Edgman-Levitan, where we will explore strategies for communicating clinical uncertainty with transparency, supporting patient autonomy, and presenting clinical guidelines—not as rigid directives, but as respectful, evidence-based recommendations. This discussion will also highlight the importance of preparing future clinicians to engage with uncertainty as a skill by cultivating habits of humility, critical thinking and clear communication.  Attendees will gain practical insights into building trust through transparency, fostering collaborative clinician-patient relationships, and preparing the next generation to approach uncertainty with confidence. 

Moderator:

• Susan Edgman-Levitan, PA
  John D. Stoeckle Center for Primary Care Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital
  

Speaker:

• Dimitrios Papanagnou, MD, EdD, MPH
  Thomas Jefferson University
• Lekshmi Santhosh, MD, MAEd
  University of California-San Francisco