Howard Barrows

Trained as a neurologist, Barrows is best known today for his many innovations in medical education, particularly teaching using Problem-Based Learning (PBL),[1][2][3] developed while he was a professor at McMaster University Medical School, assessing clinical skills working with simulated patients,[4][5] and studying clinical reasoning using stimulated recall techniques.

He interned at Lennox Hill Hospital in New York city and subsequently served two years at Parks Air Force Base in California as a medical officer.

Barrows returned to New York city in 1957 to complete his residency in neurology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.

He played an instrumental role in creating the journal Teaching and Learning in Medicine and served as an associate editor for many years.

He also established the Problem-Based Learning Institute in conjunction with the local public school district to promote the use of PBL in secondary education.

Barrows' pioneering work on training actors to serve as simulated patients opened the door to a new way of evaluating clinical skills.