Aaron Geekie-Sousa : Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Degrees and Diplomas

2018 - present  Bachelor of Health Science (Hons) Candidate, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario

 

Qualifications, Licensures, and Certifications

2019 - present  CHSE, Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator, Society for Simulation in Healthcare

2018 - present  PMP, Project Management Professional, Project Management Institute

2003 - present  Advanced Medical First Responder, First Aid, CPR & AED  Instructor, St. John Ambulance

 

Other Specialized Training & Professional Development

In progress       The First Nations Principles of OCAP, The First Nations Information Governance Centre

In progress       Health Professions Education Research (HPER) Program, McMaster University

2014 - present  Association of Standardized Patient Educators, Annual Conference

2023                Canadian Association of Midwives, Annual Conference

2023                Equity in Graduate Admissions, Equity in Graduate Education

2023                Introduction to Equity-Minded Mentoring, Equity in Graduate Education

2021                 Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue, Crucial Learning

2020                 Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt, McMaster University  

2019                 Ontario Enhanced Core Health Indigenous Cultural Safety, San'yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training 

2018                 Kitchener-Waterloo Transgender Health and Wellness Conference

2018 - 2019      Strategic Leaders Program, McMaster University

2015 - 2016      Project Management Program, McMaster University

2015 - 2016      Knowledge Leaders Program, McMaster University

 

CURRENT STATUS AT McMASTER

2021 - present  Program Manager, Midwifery Graduate Program, Faculty of Health Science

2014 - 2021      Standardized Patient Trainer, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Waterloo Regional Campus, Faculty of Health Science

 

OTHER POSITIONS & APPOINTMENTS

2023                Reviewer, Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator Exam Committee, Society for Simulation in Healthcare

2014 - 2020      Standardized Patient Trainer, Medical Council of Canada 

2014 - 2020      Standardized Client Trainer, Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators

2015 - 2017      Standardized Patient Trainer, Canadian Examiners in Optometry 

 

Volunteer Positions

2019 - present  Curriculum Development and Advancement Committee, Association of Standardized Patient Educators

2012 - present  Director & Chair, Helping Haiti  

 

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

2017 - present  Project Management Institute

2015 - present  Society for Simulation in Healthcare

2014 - present  Association of Standardized Patient Educators

 

CONTRIBUTIONS TO TEACHING PRACTICE

Course/Curriculum Development

2019 - present  Co-designer & Facilitator – “Structured Feedback Through Simulation”
This is a half-day faculty development course involving multi-media presentations of simulated scenarios and direct observation of faculty to give feedback to live simulated learners in a safe environment with coaching and deliberate practice.

Invited Lectures

Geekie-Sousa, A. (2021, March 18). Providing Effective, Constructive Feedback: Peer Feedback and Beyond [Virtual Guest Lecture]. PHARM 362 Advanced Patient Self Care.
Geekie-Sousa, A. (2020, March 10). Providing Effective, Constructive Feedback: Peer Feedback and Beyond [Guest Lecture]. PHARM 362 Advanced Patient Self Care.
Geekie-Sousa, A. (2019, March 12). Providing Constructive Feedback [Guest Lecture]. PHARM 472: Community Practice in a Changing Environment.
Geekie-Sousa, A. (2019, October 23). Delivering Effective Feedback as a Simulated Client [Guest Lecture]. Ontario Veterinary College.
Geekie-Sousa, A. (2018, January 9). A Model for Peer Feedback [Guest Lecture]. PHARM 472: Community Practice in a Changing Environment.
Geekie-Sousa, A. (2017, October 19). Giving Effective Feedback [Guest Lecture]. Faculty Lunch n Learn.

Other Contributions to Profession

Brown, D., Geekie-Sousa, A., Gilva-McConvey, G., Krebsbach, C., Snyder, A., Pitt, J., Bohnert, C., Bolyard, B., Gregory, H., Lewis, K., MacAulay, R., Miller, J., Owens, J., Owens, T., & Wallace, A. (2022). ASPE’s Case Development Template. Association of SP Educators. https://www.aspeducators.org/aspe-case-development-template

 

LIFETIME PUBLICATIONS

Peer-reviewed Journal Publications

Nicole Last, Urmi Sheth, Amy Keuhl, Aaron Geekie-Sousa, Derya Uzelli Yilmaz, Sandra Monteiro, & Matt Sibbald. (2025). Engaging and supporting standardized patients involved in equity-seeking healthcare training: a qualitative study. International Journal of Medical Education, 16, 64–74. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.67ab.596e
Sheth, U. T., Last, N. A., Keuhl, A. C., Azim, A. R. K., Chen, R. P., Dhir, J., Farrugia, P. R., Geekie-Sousa, A. G., McCarthy, J. M., Tong, X. C., Monteiro, S. D., & Sibbald, M. G. (2025). Standardized Patient Education Focused on Equity Deserving Groups: Ten Tips for Educators and Programs—A Qualitative Study. Simulation in Healthcare: The Journal of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, 20(3), 144–149. https://doi.org/10.1097/SIH.0000000000000836
Tong, X. C., Chopra, S., Jordan, H., Sibbald, M., Geekie-Sousa, A., & Monteiro, S. (2025). Did we create brave spaces? A realist evaluation report on simulation-based faculty development workshop in equity, diversity, inclusivity, and Indigenous reconciliation. Advances in Simulation, 10(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-025-00346-2
Sibbald, M., Last, N., Keuhl, A., Azim, A., Sheth, U., Khalid, F., Banji, F., Geekie-Sousa, A., Yilmaz, D. U., & Monteiro, S. (2023). Challenges facing standardized patients representing equity-deserving groups: insights from healthcare educators. Medical Education, 57(6), 515–522. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.15085
Tong, X. C., Chopra, S., Jordan, H., Sibbald, M., Geekie-Sousa, A., & Monteiro, S. (2023). The Creating Brave Spaces workshop: a report on simulation-based faculty development to disarm microaggressions. BMJ Leader, 7(7), 2. https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2023-000784

Conference Abstracts

Hickey, H. (2022). Together again: a community redefining residency education: 2022 International Conference on Residency Education. Canadian Medical Education Journal, 13(6), 110–156. https://doi.org/10.36834/cmej.75806
Jayabarathan, A., Tong, X. C., Geekie-Sousa, A., Patel, T., Kundi, A., Beecroft, J., Monteiro, S., Chan, T. M., Thompson, K., & Zdyb, T. (2022). Big Ideas: Top 4 proposals presented at Family Medicine Forum. Canadian Family Physician, 68(2), 97. https://doi.org/10.46747/cfp.680297
Hickey, H. (2021). Canadian Conference on Medical Education 2021 Abstracts. Canadian Medical Education Journal, 12(2), e138–e344. https://doi.org/10.36834/cmej.72402

 

PRESENTATIONS AT MEETINGS & CONFERENCES

Invited Workshops & Presentations

Bohnert, C., Brown, D., Furman, G., Galin, S., Gliva-McConvey, G., Geekie-Sousa, A., Gregory, H., Kiser, R., Krebsbach, C., Miller, J., Siebers, E., Snyder, A., Wallace, A., & Woolard, A. (2022, June 25). Foundations of SP Methodology. Association of Standardized Patient Educators. https://www.aspeducators.org/
Bohnert, C., Brown, D., Ferguson, D., Furman, G., Galin, S., Garnaat, S., Geekie-Sousa, A., Gliva-McConvey, G., Gregory, H., Kiser, R., Krebsbach, C., LaMarra, D., Miller, J., Siebers, E., Snyder, A., Wallace, A., Woolard, A., & Woolard, A. (2021, June 27). Foundations of SP Methodology. Association of Standardized Patient Educators. https://www.aspeducators.org/

Presentations

Tong, X. C., Kundi, A., Patel, T., Geekie-Sousa, A., Elmhirst, P., Zubairi, M., Verhovsek, M., & Azim, A. (2022, April 24). Creating Brave Spaces: Addressing EDI in Faculty Development Using Simulation [Live virtual workshop]. Canadian Conference on Medical Education. https://mededconference.ca/
Geekie-Sousa, A. (2022, June 6). Using SPs and Video Vignettes to Enhance A Multi-Institutional Interprofessional Activity [Presentation]. Association of Standardized Patient Educators. https://www.aspeducators.org/
Sibbald, M., Last, N., Keuhl, A., Azim, A., Sheth, U., Banji, F., Khalid, F., Geekie-Sousa, A., Yilmaz, D. U., & Monteiro, S. (2022, June 8). Exploring the development of standardized patient educational experiences to support equity, diversity, and inclusivity mandates of healthcare training programs [Oral presentation]. Norman Education Research Day. https://www.normanresearchday.ca/
Geekie-Sousa, A. (2022, June 18). SPs as Recruiters? Using SPs as Interviewers in an Interactive SP Recruitment Session [Presentation]. Association of Standardized Patient Educators. https://www.aspeducators.org/
Brown, D., Geekie-Sousa, A., Gliva-McConvey, G., Krebsbach, C., & Snyder, A. (2022, June 26). ASPE Case Development Template [Presentation]. Association of Standardized Patient Educators. https://www.aspeducators.org/
Tong, X. C., Geekie-Sousa, A., Elmhirst, P., Verhovsek, M., Zubairi, M., Kundi, A., Patel, T., Azim, A., Jordan, H., & Monteiro, S. (2022, August 30). Creating Brave Spaces: Addressing EDI in Faculty Development Using Simulation [Live virtual workshop]. Association for Medical Education in Europe Annual Meeting. https://amee.org/
Ngo, Q., Tong, X. C., Bal, S., Dowhos, K., Geekie-Sousa, A., & McPherson, I. (2021, April 19). Practicing Structured Feedback for Clinician Teachers Through Simulation [Live virtual workshop]. Canadian Conference on Medical Education. https://mededconference.ca/
Geekie-Sousa, A., & McPherson, I. (2021, June 29). More than Just Vitals: Effectively and Authentically Introducing Social Determinants of Health Into Your Simulation [Live virtual workshop]. Association of Standardized Patient Educators. https://www.aspeducators.org/
Tong, C., Bal, S., Dowhos, K., Geekie-Sousa, A., McPherson, I., & Ngo, Q. (2021, August 27). Practicing critical feedback through simulation [Live virtual pre-conference workshop]. Association for Medical Education in Europe. https://amee.org/
Tong, X. C., Geekie-Sousa, A., Patel, T., Kundi, A., Beecroft, J., Monteiro, S., & Chan, T. M. (2021, November 11). Using Actors in EDI Faculty Development. Big Ideas Soap Box Finalist [Oral presentation]. Family Medicine Forum.
Tong, X. C., Bal, S., Dowhos, K., Geekie-Sousa, A., McPherson, I., & Ngo, Q. (2020, May 26). Structured Feedback Through Simulation [Live virtual workshop]. 13th Day in Faculty Development. https://www.macpfd.ca/
Geekie-Sousa, A. (2020, August 12). Getting It Off the Ground: Managing Your Program’s Stakeholders to Turn Your Ideas into Reality [Live virtual workshop]. Association of Standardized Patient Educators. https://www.aspeducators.org/
Tong, X. C., Bal, S., Dowhos, K., Geekie-Sousa, A., McPherson, I., & Ngo, Q. (2020, November 5). Practising Structured Feedback for Clinician Teachers Through Simulation [Live virtual workshop]. Family Medicine Forum. https://fmf.cfpc.ca/
Geekie-Sousa, A. (2019, June 9). Playing it (Not) Straight: Preparing straight, cisgender SPs for LGBTQ+ Roles [Workshop]. Association of Standardized Patient Educators. https://www.aspeducators.org/
Geekie-Sousa, A. (2018, June 19). Get There Faster - Using Online Training Modules to Quickly and Effectively Onboard New SPs [Presentation]. Association of Standardized Patient Educators. https://www.aspeducators.org/
Geekie-Sousa, A. (2017, June 6). Using SPs and Video Vignettes to Enhance a Multi-Institutional Inter-Professional Activity [Presentation]. Association of Standardized Patient Educators. https://www.aspeducators.org/

Poster Presentations

Sibbald, M., Last, N., Keuhl, A., Azim, A., Sheth, U., Banji, F., Khalid, F., Geekie-Sousa, A., Yilmaz, D. U., & Monteiro, S. (2022, October 27). Exploring the development of standardized patient educational experiences to support equity, diversity, and inclusivity mandates of healthcare training programs [Poster]. The International Conference on Residency Education (ICRE). https://icre.royalcollege.ca/
Geekie-Sousa, A., & Bright, J. (2019, June 9). The Use of Standardized Patients in a Teaching Setting to Enhance Optometric Specific Communication Skills [Poster]. Association of Standardized Patient Educators. https://www.aspeducators.org/
Geekie-Sousa, A., & Bright, J. (2017, October 12). The Use of Standardized Patients in a Teaching Setting to Enhance Optometric Specific Communication Skills [Poster]. American Academy of Optometry. https://www.aaopt.org/

Awards

2023                 President’s Award for Outstanding Service in 2022 (nominee), McMaster University

2019                 Global Health Advocate Award, McMaster University, Michael G DeGroote School of Medicine, Waterloo Regional Campus

2012                 Service Medal, St. John Ambulance Canada

2006                 Volunteer Service Award, Province of Ontario

2006                 Serving Member, Order of St. John, The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John

Special Thanks

Moroz, S., Andrade, R., Walsh, L., & Richard, C. L. (2023). Student Performance on an Objective Structured Clinical Exam Delivered Both Virtually and In-Person. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 87(7). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpe.2023.100088