YBY ep 270: Dr. Jenny Christner on the benefits of using improv to develop empathy and listening skills!
This week on Yes But Why Podcast, I connected with Dr. Jennifer Christner, doctor, educator, and improviser.
Jennifer G. Christner, MD is the Dean, School of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). Dr. Christner was practicing general pediatrics when early in her career, she was selected to become a National Faculty Development Scholar by the Academic Pediatric Association. This changed her focus from seeing patients to developing educational methods to train better doctors. This new path fascinated her, so since then, she has completed training programs in Medical Education as well as a Certification in Research. Dr. Christner works on research regarding new methods of medical education and faculty development.
Most recently, Dr. Christner founded Christner Strategies, LLC to bring together all her skills and research. With this new business she is providing medical education consulting for her academic clients, and executive/life coaching for professionals in both academic and nonacademic environments. Dr. Christner also speaks at events about a variety of faculty development and leadership topics including the use of improvisation to enhance communication skills.
When I met Dr. Christner (she told me to call her Jenny), we talked about how she got connected with the improv community in Houston, Texas. You see, the medical profession is tough (like really really tough), and Dr. Jenny needed a little break from all the hard work she had been doing. So she decided to take an improv class and completely fell in love with it.
Dr. Jenny had already been focused on helping doctors tap into their creativity to work on soft skills like communication and professionalism. So when she found improv, it opened up a new door for her. She had found a new way to show her students how to open up, how to learn empathy, how to listen.
In our conversation, we have a great chat about Dr. Jenny’s creative path. We start with her dreams of being a ballerina and we follow her journey through to the creation of Christner Strategies, LLC, her new life coaching company that supports leaders in both academic and nonacademic environments.
Support Dr. Jenny Christner by hiring Christner Strategies, LLC (or by telling someone else about her great services)!
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(production notes: recorded zoom meeting via Rodecaster on 6/3/2021…posted on 7/5/2021)
Jennifer G. Christner, MD is the Dean, School of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). Dr. Christner was practicing general pediatrics when early in her career, she was selected to become a National Faculty Development Scholar by the Academic Pediatric Association. This changed her focus from seeing patients to developing educational methods to train better doctors. This new path fascinated her, so since then, she has completed training programs in Medical Education as well as a Certification in Research. Dr. Christner works on research regarding new methods of medical education and faculty development. 
