Lou Clark

Lou Clark is an Associate Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota (UMN) Medical School and Executive Director of M Simulation under the Office of Academic Clinical Affairs. She oversees healthcare simulation education across UMN’s health sciences programs and system campuses. Her roles include Assistant Director of the Essentials of Clinical Medicine Course, where she teaches and mentors first-year medical students. She is also an Affiliate Faculty member of UMN’s Center for Interprofessional Health and serves on its Executive Committee.

• Educational Background: Ph.D. in Human Communication (Arizona State University), M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing (University of New Mexico), M.A. and B.A. in Liberal Studies (Manhattanville College).
• Professional Experience: Former Assistant Dean of Clinical Skills Education & Innovation at TCU-UNT Medical School; Deputy Director of Clinical Simulation at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS).

Her research focuses on clinical communication skills development in healthcare simulation, particularly empathy and compassion training. She employs qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, with publications in journals such as Simulation in Healthcare and BMJ Simulation & Technology Enhanced Learning. Dr. Clark co-edited the 2020 textbook Implementing Best Practices in Standardized Patient Methodology (Springer).

Her work emphasizes advanced communication scenarios, including breaking bad news, LGBTQ+ patient care, and supporting survivors of military sexual assault. She integrates theater methodologies to enhance clinical communication training, leveraging her award-winning background in theater arts.

• Professional Service: Grants & Research Chair (Association of SP Educators), Chair of the SP Special Interest Group (Society for Simulation in Healthcare).
• Teaching Roles: Course Lead for Training & Development (Arizona State University’s Hugh Downs School of Human Communication MA Program); Instructor in Health Communication Online Master’s Program (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign).