One of the biggest misconceptions about gifted students is that often – they are doing fine. They earn good grades.
They receive positive feedback.
They often appear successful.
And everything looks fine on the surface.
Yet many parents sense that something important is missing.
Their child is not fully engaged in learning.
Not truly intellectually challenged.
Or, on the other side, they may be pushing limits in ways that challenge parents as well. And most importantly, they are not becoming who they could become.
Over the years, we have met many students who appeared successful on paper but lacked direction. They had strong grades and impressive abilities yet had little understanding of the opportunities available to them or how their strengths connected to future careers.
We have also seen the opposite: students who became energized when given authentic challenges, real-world problems, and opportunities to explore careers aligned with their interests.
Over the years, we have seen firsthand what changes that.
It is not more content. Nor is it more enrichment. And certainly not more tutoring.
What changes that is real experiences where students:
• Make real-life decisions
• Work through real-world complexity
• Explore authentic paths in medicine, science, leadership, and innovation
• Tackle problems that provide depth, complexity, and novelty
• And, receive the kind of training that develops how they think, not simply what they know.
That is where students’ confidence grows. And not only that, but for some of them, that is where their life’s direction begins. And as a result, students start asking deeper questions about who they are and what they want to contribute.
Ultimately, that is where many begin finding their “why.”
This philosophy is the foundation behind the Indelible Learning Institute.
For more than 15 years, we have created and taught courses for gifted learners.
We have taught gifted students.
We have taught parents of gifted students.
We have studied learning, medicine, leadership, technology, and human development.
As physicians, higher-education and medical school educators, researchers, educational technology innovators, and parents of gifted children ourselves, we have spent decades thinking about one question:
How do we help bright young people develop into capable, purposeful adults?
Along the way, we created NIH-supported educational games and simulations that immerse students in real-world problems and decision-making.
Because no matter how many rules we create around technology, technology is here to stay.
Rather than simply restricting it, we believe students should learn how to use it wisely.
We want young people using technology that strengthens thinking, curiosity, judgment, and creativity, not technology that diminishes them.
As parents, one of the most important questions we can ask is not whether our children are succeeding today, but whether they are developing the skills, judgment, confidence, and sense of purpose they will need tomorrow.
That question has guided much of our work over the past fifteen years.
Over the years, we created courses.
We taught courses.
We developed simulations.
And now we have brought many of those experiences together through the Indelible Learning Institute—a place where students can explore careers, participate in simulations, learn from experts, and develop the skills needed for success beyond college.
If you have been wondering what your child truly needs next…
If you are looking for more than grades, test scores, and traditional enrichment…
If you want your child to develop confidence, direction, and purpose…
If these questions resonate with you, we invite you to join us for our upcoming free Masterclass…
Raising Future Doctors, Scientists, Leaders & Innovators
Career Development for Brilliant Minds
Tuesday, June 9th
6:00 PM Pacific Time
During this live session, we will discuss:
• What gifted students actually need to thrive
• Why many capable students lose direction despite strong academic performance
• How early career exploration can help students make better educational decisions
• Practical ways parents can help their children develop confidence, judgment, and purpose
We would love to have you join us.
Register today and invite another parent who may benefit from the conversation.
P.S.
This photo was taken during one of our NIH I-Corps trips, visiting Baylor College of Medicine in Houston as we interviewed educators, researchers, physicians, and innovators about the future of learning.
Dr. Jasminka Vukanovic-Criley MD, FACP, FHM is a multiple award-winning physician, hospitalist, healthcare & education innovator & Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA. She is a career mentor & advisor to undergraduate, graduate & postgraduate students & faculty across medicine, science & education. As Founder & CEO of Indelible Learning, Dr. Criley leads a systems-based approach to learning grounded in the belief that we grow geniuses by making complex systems visible, before real-world decisions carry irreversible consequences. Her research focuses on designing evidence-driven digital games & simulations that help people see, question, & improve systems across health, civics, science & human behavior. Dr Criley is a sought-after speaker, a founding Board member of Physician’s Weekly & an advocate for learning experiences that build judgment, agency & healthier institutions. She can be reached on X at @criley_md and at www.linkedin.com/in/jasminka-criley-md