course in medical education

The Techniques and Strategies That Significantly Improve Student Engagement, and Teaching and Mentoring Effectiveness

Incorporating best practices, newer principles of adult learning, and widely available technologies into your teaching can significantly improve your ability to engage and inspire students, residents, fellows, and colleagues. This special program, ranked among Harvard Medical School’s highest-rated CME courses, is a uniquely comprehensive exploration of best practices for teaching medicine at the bedside, in ambulatory settings, and in the classroom.  

The 2025 curriculum helps medical educators to:

• Leverage artificial intelligence in your teaching
• Provide more effective feedback that motivates change
• Utilize active learning strategies in small and large group teaching settings
• Deliver more impactful and engaging lectures
• Characterize best practices for mentor-mentee relationships and identify opportunities to leverage mentorship opportunities to help you thrive at work
• Optimize evaluation of trainee competencies
• Improve engagement and interactivity for in-person and virtual teaching sessions
• Enhance critical thinking and self-directed learning among students
• Describe real-time strategies to address unprofessional behavior
• Identify strengths and weaknesses of various assessment tools
• Incorporate various forms of technology, including digital media and artificial intelligence, into your teaching
• Identify strategies to be an inclusive leader and lead different generations
• Create an action plan for implementing and sustaining effective change as leaders in medical education
• Identify strategies to recognize and mitigate bias
• Describe personal and organizational strategies to improve the well-being of yourself and your trainees

Case-based and hands-on learning are a hallmark of this course, with significant participant interaction and active modeling of instruction techniques. Whether you are newer to teaching or a seasoned educator and mentor, this course will give you modern tools and practices to optimize skills transfer and learner success.

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Areas of focus in which attendees will deepen their skills include:

• Interactive Lecturing
• Bedside Teaching
• Effective Mentoring
• Impactful Feedback
• Developing Curricula
• Assessing Learners
• Learner Engagement
• Teaching Critical Thinking
• Teaching and Maintaining Wellness

OPTIMIZED FOR REMOTE EDUCATION

The 2025 program has been enhanced for distance learning. In addition to being live streamed, all sessions will be recorded and made available to participants for online viewing for 90 days after the end of the course. 

OPTIONAL ADD-ON SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Mastering the Skills of the Modern Medical Educator Friday Afternoon, March 28, 1:00pm – 5:00pm

Participants of  Principles of Medical Education  can customize their learning experience, choosing from the following add-on options. Please note that seating is limited for these special sessions—available on a first-come, first-served basis. Early registration is advised.  

TRACK 1 - Successful Career Development for the Clinician-Educator

Click here for description

TRACK 2 - Taking Your Teaching to the Next Level

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Assess their learners' needs
• Design an educational intervention
• Establish learner-centered learning environments
• Ambulatory teaching
• Bedside teaching
• Large-group presentations
• Small-group/case-based teaching
• Recognize effective learner assessment strategies and provide effective feedback in order to set educational expectations
• Foster critical thinking skills so learners may effectively use questions to promote clinical decision-making
• Engage in reflective practice in order to identify effective teaching techniques

Medical Education

Make the AAMC your medical education home. Explore what we have to offer, from learning events, trainings, and professional development conferences to programs, initiatives, and scholarship on key and emerging topics. Get involved, advance your career, and help move the field of medical education forward.

Areas of Focus

The mission of the Master of Medical Sciences in Medical Education is to give those who already excel in one of the health sciences disciplines an opportunity to turn their specialized knowledge and skill towards the advancement of health professions education. Through research, skill building, and innovation, this master’s program seeks to transform health professions education in the service of advancing the health sciences and healthcare nationally and internationally. Graduates of our program will be well positioned to lead progress and make transformative change.

Curriculum Development for Medical Education

Time limit: 180 days 6 credits

$249 Enroll

Full course description

Course Description

The Six-Step Approach was developed at Johns Hopkins to be a practical model for creating curricula in medical education. Since 1987, it has been used as the basis for a longitudinal training program where over 300 Johns Hopkins faculty and fellows have developed and implemented more than 130 curricula. Through over 130 workshops and a textbook now in its 4th edition, the Six-Step Approach has reached many more educators worldwide. In this introductory course, we hope to familiarize you with the basics of curriculum development so that you can begin to think of ways to improve existing curricula or advance new curricular ideas. Completion of this course will provide the necessary foundation for the additional training needed to develop true curriculum development expertise. 

Learning Objectives

After participating in the activity, the participant will demonstrate the ability to:

• Describe the Six Steps of curriculum development (CD).
• Relate specific curriculum development activities to the appropriate Step of CD. 
• Identify why the Six-Step Approach to CD is relevant to most planned educational activities. 
• Apply the Six-Step Approach to CD to critique curricula. 
• Apply the Six-Step Approach to CD to identify potential solutions for common curricular problems. 

Target Audience

This activity is intended for scholarly educators in the fields of nursing, medicine, public health, psychology, and laboratory research.

ACCREDITATION STATEMENT 

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CREDIT DESIGNATION STATEMENT

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 6 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

OTHER CREDITS

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners National Certification  Program 

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners National Certification Program  accepts  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™  from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

American Nurses Credentialing  Center

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)  accepts  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit TM  from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Contact Hours for Non-Physicians

The Johns Hopkins University has approved this activity for  6   contact hours for non-physicians .  

National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)

PAs may claim a maximum of 6 Category 1 credits for completing this activity.  NCCPA  accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME or a recognized state medical society.

Social Workers

The  Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners  certifies that this program meets the criteria for 6 credit hours of Category 1 or .6 CEUs of continuing education for social workers and associates licensed in Maryland. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is an approved sponsor of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland.

POLICY ON SPEAKER AND PROVIDER DISCLOSURE 

It is the policy of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine that the speaker and provider globally disclose conflicts of interest. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine OCME has established policies in place that will identify and resolve all conflicts of interest prior to this educational activity. Detailed disclosure will be made in the instructional materials.

Johns Hopkins Statement of Responsibility 

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CME activity.

Internet CME Policy 

The Office of Continuing Medical Education (OCME) at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is committed to protecting the privacy of its members and customers. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine OCME maintains its Internet site as an information resource and service for physicians, other health professionals and the public. OCME at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will keep your personal and credit information confidential when you participate in a CME Internet based program. Your information will never be given to anyone outside of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine CME program. CME collects only the information necessary to provide you with the services that you request.   

All rights reserved - The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. No part of this program may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews.

FULL DISCLOSURE POLICY AFFECTING CME ACTIVITIES

As a provider approved by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Office of Continuing Medical Education (OCME) requires attested and signed global disclosure of the existence of all financial interests or relationships with commercial interest from any individual in a position to control the content of a CME activity sponsored by OCME. The following relationships have been reported for this activity:

No speaker has indicated that they have any financial interests or relationships with a commercial entity whose products or services are relevant to the content of their presentation(s).

No planner has indicated that they have any financial interests or relationships with a commercial entity.

Note:  Grants to investigators at the Johns Hopkins University are negotiated and administered by the institution which receives the grants, typically through the Office of Research Administration. Individual investigators who participate in the sponsored project(s) are not directly compensated by the sponsor, but may receive salary or other support from the institution to support their effort on the project(s).

Disclaimer Statement

The opinions and recommendations expressed by faculty and other experts whose input is included in this program are their own.  This enduring material is produced for educational purposes only. Use of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine name implies review of educational format design and approach. Please review the complete prescribing information of specific drugs or combination of drugs, including indications, contraindications, warnings and adverse effects before administering pharmacologic therapy to patients.

CONFIDENTIALITY DISCLAIMER FOR CME ACTIVITIES  

I certify that I am attending a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine CME activity for accredited training and/or educational purposes.

I understand that while I am attending in this capacity, I may be exposed to "protected health information," as that term is defined and used in Hopkins policies and in the federal HIPAA privacy regulations (the "Privacy Regulations").  Protected health information is information about a person's health or treatment that identifies the person. 

I pledge and agree to use and disclose any of this protected health information only for the training and/or educational purposes of my visit and to keep the information confidential. I agree not to post or discuss this protected health information, including pictures and/or videos, on any social media site (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.), in any electronic messaging program or through any portable electronic device.

I understand that I may direct to the Johns Hopkins Privacy Officer any questions I have about my obligations under this  Confidentiality  Pledge or under any of the Hopkins policies  and procedures  and  applicable  laws  and  regulations  related  to  confidentiality. The contact information is: Johns Hopkins Privacy Officer, telephone: 410-735-6509, e-mail:  [email protected].

ACTIVITY DIRECTOR(S)

Belinda Y. Chen, MD Director of Faculty Development Programs in Curriculum Development

JOHNS HOPKINS SPEAKERS

David E. Kern, MD, MPH Professor Emeritus, Programs in Curriculum Development

Sean Tackett, MD, MPH International Medical Education Director, Division of General Internal Medicine

Methods of Payment :  We require full payment prior to the start of the activity.  

CANCELLATION POLICY

The Johns Hopkins University reserves the right to cancel or postpone any activity due to unforeseen circumstances.  In this event, the University will refund the registration fee but is not responsible for travel expenses. Under such circumstances registrants will be notified as soon as possible.

Course Format  – Method of Participation

This enduring material is expected to take approximately 6 hours to complete. Once the activity is completed, you must pass the post-test and complete the evaluation to receive CME credit. 

To register, please visit  https://learn.hopkinsmedicine.org  and complete the registration. Once registered, click “Content & Tests” to view the content and complete the post-test and evaluation.

The content is available at:  https://learn.hopkinsmedicine.org

HARDWARE/SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

Students are expected to know how to use a web browser such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari. Google Chrome is the recommended browser for use when accessing learnmore.jhu.edu and may be downloaded by clicking here . 

EVALUATION AND OUTCOMES SURVEY

Post activity, an online evaluation form will be available to attendees to evaluate the activity and identify future educational needs.  Upon completion of the evaluation, the learner must attest to the number of hours in attendance. A certificate of attendance will be available immediately for download or print. The last day to evaluate the material and attest to your credits is (30 days post-activity).

POST-TEST 

A post-test will be conducted at the conclusion of the activity. A grade of at least 80% within three attempts is needed to receive CME credit.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine fully complies with the legal requirements of the ADA and the rules and regulations thereof.   Please notify us if you have any special needs by emailing the Office of Online Education . 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

General Information: (410) 955-2959

E-mail the Office of CME:  [email protected]  

To participate in additional CME activities presented by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Continuing Medical Education Office, please visit  https://hopkinscme.cloud-cme.com . 

Follow us on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/HopkinsCME

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/HopkinsCME

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Medical education, master of science in education (m.s.ed.), you are here, an innovative program for physicians and healthcare professionals who want to lead the way in medical education.

The Medical Education (Med Ed) master's program is a unique collaboration between physician educators and education experts. We provide a comprehensive, innovative curriculum designed for physicians and other healthcare professionals who want to pursue master-level training, evidence-based education, educational scholarship, and educational technologies. Our approach—brief on-site intensives paired with flexible distance learning—accommodates professionals from a broad geographic area and with a broad variety of professional roles and responsibilities.

What Sets Us Apart

About the program.

The Medical Education master’s program prepares healthcare professionals to be teachers of medical educators, educational scholars, and leaders who influence and inspire others to learn in undergraduate and graduate medical and healthcare programs. Our two-year program trains physicians and other healthcare professionals in the science of education while remaining solidly grounded in the medical environment. The executive format includes on-site classes over long weekends, independent study, and online sessions.  

1 block per semester

Culminating experience Master's capstone

• Executive-Style

Participants complete four learning blocks over four semesters: Learning and Technology, Educational Research, Leadership, and Master’s Capstone. Virtual coaching clinics are coordinated with each of the program blocks. These clinics hone students’ online teaching abilities and collaborative learning skills, and help students complete their block assignments.

Prepare to teach medical educators : Gain an understanding of how adults learn, how to develop effective and efficient educational experiences in medical education, and how to teach others to do the same. Prepare to take on the many challenges facing medical educators, including assessment, curricular design, and integrating educational technologies into all types of learning experiences.

Become a medical education researcher : Gain the skills and knowledge to meet the growing need for research and innovation in medical education. Learn how to evaluate programs and publish your research in this area.

Grow into a leadership role at your healthcare organization or medical school : Influence and inspire others to learn. Develop the leadership competencies to plan, implement, and maintain successful, sustainable programs. Acquire leadership skills and tools that are highly relevant to medical education.

Admission to the Medical Education master’s program is offered every two years. The application for the Fall 2026 cohort will be available on September 1, 2025.

Our curriculum is designed to integrate the expertise of professional educators with the perspective of clinicians. Created for adult learners, the program is active, engaging, and experiential. We provide the newest thinking and scholarship in a variety of learning formats.

Our Master of Education (M.S.Ed.) requires completion of four blocks, each composed of on-site large-group and synchronous remote small-group sessions in the following areas:

• Learning and Technology:  The Learning and Technology block introduces participants to theories of, and research on, learning, curriculum, instruction and technology in medical education. It connects the theories and research to learning and technology practices in the academic medical and healthcare contexts. In addition, participants will develop a deeper understanding of common educational challenges such as learner assessment, curricular development, and pedagogical techniques.
• Educational Research:  Inquiry and investigation are central to refining and advancing education in medicine and healthcare. Leaders in medical education must also be skilled in program evaluation, which requires research. During the course of the Educational Research block, participants will become familiar with evaluation tools and techniques, qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, and pragmatic aspects of educational scholarship such as proposal development and publishing research.
• Leadership:  The Leadership block provides an opportunity to explore concepts such as emotional intelligence, how to influence and motivate others, group and classroom dynamics, power dynamics, organizational change, and the impact of organizational culture on leading and learning in complex systems. Central to this block is the understanding that people with advanced training in education will be called upon to develop and administer programs, which requires leadership skills that few in medicine are ever taught.
• Master’s Capstone:  The Master’s Capstone allows students to design their own paper and/or project based on needs in their individual workplaces. The project/paper structure is clearly outlined by program directors and supported through synchronous and asynchronous online sessions with faculty and students.

Virtual coaching clinics are coordinated with each of the four blocks of the program, and there are three or four clinics per block. The clinics hone students’ online teaching abilities and collaborative learning skills, and help students complete their block assignments. Clinic time is an essential part of teaching and learning in medical education, and coaching supports knowledge retention and skill acquisition. By harnessing technology, the Med Ed program provides students with small group teaching and learning experiences in the virtual world, overseen by experienced and trained coaches.

For information on courses and requirements, visit the  Medical Education M.S.Ed. program in the University Catalog .

Cohort 2024-2026

Our faculty.

Affiliated Faculty

Patti Adelman Vice President, Center for Learning and Innovation & Physician Leadership Institute, Northwell Health Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania

Anthony R. Artino, Jr. Professor, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences Ph.D., University of Connecticut

Dorene Balmer Director of Research on Pediatric Education at The Children’s Hospital Philadelphia Ph.D., Temple University

Quinn Bauriedel Co-Artistic Director, Pig Iron Theatre Company Diploma, Theatre, Ecole Jacques Lecoq

Robbin Chapman Adjunct Associate Professor Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Constance Filling Chief Learning Officer, Association of American Medical Colleges Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania

Pam Grossman Professor of Education Ph.D., Stanford University

Eric S. Holmboe Chief Research, Milestone Development, and Evaluation Officer, ACGME M.D., University of Rochester School of Medicine

Fran Johnston Founder and CEO, Teleos Leadership Institute Ph.D., Temple University

Rachel K. Miller Associate Professor, Division of Geriatrics, Perelman School of Medicine M.D., University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; M.S.Ed., University of Pennsylvania

Jennifer Moyer Executive Coach and Leadership Development Consultant, JSMoyer Consulting M.Ed., University of Virginia

Leslie K. Nabors Olah Adjunct Associate Professor Ed.D., Harvard University

Kristi Pintar Vice President, Change Leadership and Organizational Development, Christiana Care Health System Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania

Rosemary Carol Polomano Associate Dean for Practice, Penn Nursing Ph.D., University of Maryland

Sharon M. Ravitch Professor of Practice Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Abby Reisman Associate Professor Ph.D., Stanford University

Matthew Riggan Co-Founder and Executive Director, The Workshop School  Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Gretchen Schmelzer Senior Associate, Teleos Leadership Institute Ph.D., Northeastern University

Corrie A. Stankiewicz Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine M.D., University of Pennsylvania; M.S.Ed., University of Pennsylvania

Howard C. Stevenson Constance Clayton Professor of Urban Education Ph.D., Fuller Graduate School of Psychology

James K. Stoller Professor and Chairman, Education Institute, Cleveland Clinic M.D., Yale University

Greg Urban Arthur Hobson Quinn Professor of Anthropology, Penn Arts & Sciences Ph.D., University of Chicago

Michael Yudell Professor, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University Ph.D./M.P.H., Columbia University

Program Directors & Staff

Kandi Wiens, M.B.A., Ed.D. Co-Director

Donald Boyer, M.D., M.S.Ed. Co-Director

Jessica Hall Administrative Coordinator [email protected]

April Coleman Administrative Assistant [email protected]

"I wanted to make myself the best teacher and clinician I could be."

Sean P. Harbison, MD

Our graduates.

The  Medical Education master's program is designed for physicians and other healthcare professionals who have, or are interested in pursuing, positions in educational leadership, such as:

• program directors
• fellowship directors
• clerkship directors
• positions with responsibilities in undergraduate or graduate medical education or faculty development

In addition, the program is tailored  to meet the needs of healthcare professionals interested in a specific facet of medical education, such as simulation, research and scholarship, program evaluation, learner assessment, or leading learning efforts in complex systems. Our program strongly emphasizes equipping graduates to serve as leaders and resources within their institutions.

Alumni Careers

• Associate Professor of Anesthesia, Harvard Medical School
• Vice Chief of Medical Oncology, Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA)
• Chief Resident in Family Medicine, University of British Columbia
• Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
• Director, Faculty Resources, Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children
• Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania
• Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina
• Pediatric Cardiologist, A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children
• Professor of Nutrition/Associate Dean of Education, University of Pennsylvania
• Program Director of the Emergency Medicine Residency, SUNY Downstate/Kings County Hospital
• Residency Program Director, University of Pennsylvania

Admissions & Financial Aid

Please visit our Admissions and Financial Aid pages for specific information on the application requirements , as well as information on tuition, fees, financial aid, scholarships, and fellowships.

Contact us if you have any questions about the program.

Graduate School of Education University of Pennsylvania 3700 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 (215) 898-6415 [email protected] [email protected]

[email protected]

Please view information from our Admissions and Financial Aid Office for specific information on the cost of this program.

Most students in this program fund their degree through a combination of personal resources, employer benefits, and student loans.

A Unique Synergy

The Medical Education master’s program offers a unique synergy between the educational and academic medical realms. The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have come together to provide program participants access to educational expertise centered in the medical context. 

The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education is one of three Ivy League graduate schools of education and is a national leader in education research and the preparation of skilled education professionals.

Perelman School of Medicine

The University of Pennsylvania is the oldest and one of the finest medical schools in the United States. Penn is rich in tradition and heritage and at the same time consistently at the forefront of new developments and innovations in medical education and research. 

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Since its start in 1855 as the nation's first hospital devoted exclusively to caring for children, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has been the birthplace for many dramatic firsts in pediatric medicine. 

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Course details

Developing practice in medical education.

Using critical reflection as a framework to relate theoretical and conceptual models to practice, taking into account evidence, values, learner diversity, and modes of learning. This module aims to support students in developing their practice as teachers through critical reflection on the ways in which evidence, theory, values and contexts interact. The module encourages students to explore how and why their own teaching practice and understanding of learning and teaching has evolved over time and present plans for further professional development as an educator informed by an understanding of how professional expertise is acquired.

Students will learn in small groups alongside tutor-led sessions and experiential learning (such as microteaching).

The last date for receipt of complete applications is 5pm Friday, 17th January 2025. Regrettably, late applications cannot be accepted.

This course will enable students to:

• articulate an overall approach to teaching (a ‘teaching philosophy’) through critical reflection on evidence, theories, values and contexts;
• evaluate their own teaching, using a range of reference points, including student evaluation, teaching observation, assessment, and self-reflection;
• evaluate learning technologies which may support student learning in their teaching context;
• critically consider issues of learner diversity as they relate to the student’s context, and explore ways in which their teaching can be responsive to heterogeneous learner groups;
• identify, through systematic searching, and critically appraise educational literature relating to their teaching context;
• support the development of others as educators through observation, feedback, coaching and peer-peer interactions.

Programme details

This module is run over an twelve week cycle where the first week is spent working on introductory activities using a Virtual Learning Environment, the second week is spent in Oxford for the face to face teaching week (this takes place on the dates advertised), there are then four Post-Oxford activities (delivered through the VLE) which are designed to help you write your assignment. You then have a period of personal study before submitting your assignment electronically (usually on a Tuesday at 14:00 UK Local Time).

Recommended reading

• GMC (2015) Promoting Excellence: Standards for Medical Education and Training . In particular, Theme 4: Supporting educators
• Ahmadi S, Baradaran H, Ahmadi, E. (2015) Effectiveness of Teaching Evidence-Based Medicine to Undergraduate Medical Students: A BEME Systematic Review Medical Teacher 37:1, 21-30. Available from:  https://bemecollaboration.org/Published+Reviews/BEME+Guide+No+31/

Details of funding opportunities, including grants, bursaries, loans, scholarships and benefit information are available on our financial assistance page.

If you are an employee of the University of Oxford and have a valid University staff card you may be eligible to receive a 10% discount on the full stand-alone fee. To take advantage of this offer please submit a scan/photocopy of your staff card along with your application. Your card should be valid for a further six months after attending the course.

Dr David Nunan

Module coordinator.

David Nunan is Director of the MSc EBHC (Teaching and Education) and Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Evidence-Based Health Care  awards. He has a central role in the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine’s teaching and education activities at undergraduate (Oxford medical school) and postgraduate level. His research interests include meta-epidemiology, research bias, nonpharmacological interventions for chronic disease, primary care and public health and medical education. He is a Fellow of Kellogg College.

Dr Adrian Stokes

Co-module coordinator.

Dr Adrian Stokes is Fellow Emeritus at Kellogg College , University of Oxford. He was Director of the CPD Centre, Graduate School and Interim Director of the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford until his retirement in 2022. His previous post was as Director of Masters Programmes and Continuing Professional Development at the Institute of Clinical Education, Warwick Medical School, with overall responsibility for a wide range of educational programmes including diabetes care, trauma and orthopaedic surgery, child health, public health, psychiatry, palliative care, dentistry, medical leadership and medical education. 

Assessment methods

Assessment will be based on submission of a written assignment which should not exceed 4,000 words.

Academic Credit

Applicants may take this course for academic credit. The University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education offers Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) points for this course. Participants attending at least 80% of the taught course and successfully completing assessed assignments are eligible to earn credit equivalent to 20 CATS points which may be counted towards a postgraduate qualification.

Applicants can choose not to take the course for academic credit and will therefore not be eligible to undertake the academic assignment offered to students taking the course for credit. Applicants cannot receive CATS (Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme) points or equivalence. Credit cannot be attributed retrospectively. CATS accreditation is required if you wish for the course to count towards a further qualification in the future.

A Certificate of Completion is issued at the end of the course.

Applicants registered to attend ‘not for credit’ who subsequently wish to register for academic credit and complete the assignment are required to submit additional information, which must be received one calendar month in advance of the course start date. Please contact us for more details.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions.

Application

This course requires you to complete the application form and to attach a copy of your CV. If you are applying to take this course for academic credit you will also be required to provide a reference. Please note that if you are not applying to take the course for academic credit then you do not need to submit a reference.

Please ensure you read the guidance notes which appear when you click on the symbols as you progress through the application form, as any errors resulting from failure to do so may delay your application.

• Short Course Application Form
• Terms and Conditions

Selection criteria

To apply for the course you should:

• be a graduate or have successfully completed a professional training course
• have professional work experience in the health service or a health-related field
• be able to combine intensive classroom learning with the application of the principles and practices of evidence-based health care within the work place
• have a good working knowledge of email, internet, word processing and Windows applications (for communications with course members, course team and administration)
• show evidence of the ability to commit time to study and an employer's commitment to make time available to study, complete course work and attend course and university events and modules
• Be able to demonstrate English Language proficiency at the  University’s higher level . 

Accommodation

Accommodation is available at the Rewley House Residential Centre , within the Department for Continuing Education, in central Oxford. The comfortable, en-suite, study-bedrooms have been rated as 4-Star Campus accommodation under the Quality In Tourism scheme , and come with tea- and coffee-making facilities, free Wi-Fi access and Freeview TV. Guests can take advantage of the excellent dining facilities and common room bar, where they may relax and network with others on the programme.

IT requirements

Please ensure that you have access to a computer that meets the specifications detailed on our technical support page.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support

Sign up for course news

• MSc EBHC Teaching and Education
• Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Evidence-Based Healthcare

and also available as an accredited short course in Health Sciences. You may also be interested in:

• Course Design, Assessment and Evaluation
• Teaching Evidence-Based Practice

• Advanced Life Support
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology
• Infectious disease
• Intensive care
• Palliative Care
• Respiratory
• Rheumatology
• Haematology
• Endocrine surgery
• General surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Ophthalmology
• Plastic surgery
• Vascular surgery
• Abdo examination
• Cardio examination
• Neurolo examination
• Resp examination
• Rheum examination
• Vasc exacmination
• Other examinations

Clinical Cases

• Communication skills

Prescribing

Medical Specialities

Surgical Specialities

Skills & Procedures

Clinical Examinations

History Taking

Medical Mnemonics

Exam Questions

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Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development

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Equity and justice in medical education: mapping a longitudinal curriculum across 4 years

• Hailey Broughton-Jones 1 ,
• Jean-Marie Alves-Bradford 2 , 3 ,
• Jonathan Amiel 2 , 4 ,
• Omid Cohensedgh 2 ,
• Jeremiah Douchee 2 ,
• Jennifer Egbebike 5 ,
• Harrison Fillmore 2 ,
• Chloe Harris 2 ,
• Rosa Lee 2 ,
• Monica L. Lypson 2 &
• Hetty Cunningham 2 , 4 , 6  

BMC Medical Education volume  24 , Article number:  1229 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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In 2024 in the United States there is an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within education. Politics notwithstanding, medical school curricula that are current and structured to train the next generation of physicians to adhere to our profession’s highest values of fairness, humanity, and scientific excellence are of utmost importance to health care quality and innovation worldwide. Whereas the number of anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ARDEI) curricular innovations have increased, there is a dearth of published longitudinal health equity curriculum models. In this article, we describe our school’s curricular mapping process toward the longitudinal integration of ARDEI learning objectives across 4 years and ultimately creation of an ARDEI medical education program objective (MEPO) domain.

Medical students and curricular faculty leaders developed 10 anti-racism learning objectives to create an ARDEI MEPO domain encompassing three ARDEI learning objectives.

A pilot survey indicates that medical students who have experienced this curriculum are aware of the longitudinal nature of the ARDEI curriculum and endorse its effectiveness.

Conclusions

A longitudinal health equity and justice curriculum with well-defined anti-racist objectives that is (a) based within a supportive learning environment, (b) bolstered by trusted, structured avenues for student feedback and (c) amended with iterative revisions is a promising model to ensure that medical students are equipped to effectively address health inequities and deliver the highest quality of care for all patients.

Peer Review reports

In 2024 in the United States (US) there is an attack on anti-racist, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ARDEI) initiatives in education [ 1 ]. Long-overdue curricular adjustments that are urgently needed to increase scientific accuracy, promote learning environment inclusion, and decrease systematic disenfranchisement of marginalized people in health education have been misrepresented as elements of a political ‘woke’ agenda [ 2 ]. Politics notwithstanding, health inequities are all too real, as evidenced by decades of scholarship documenting health disparities fueled by structural inequities that disproportionately harm historically marginalized populations. Fortunately, ARDEI curricular innovations being implemented at many medical schools hold promise for a more equitable, rigorous, and inclusive future for healthcare locally and globally [ 3 ].

Within ARDEI curricula, stepwise learning and repetitive practice opportunities are needed to provide learners with the knowledge and skills required to understand and change current drivers of health inequities [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Curricular roadmaps and innovations are increasingly available; however, published models of longitudinal curricula that scaffold skills across the 4 years of medical school are few. This article aims to fill this gap by outlining our school’s 4-year curricular mapping process toward the integration of ARDEI learning objectives and ultimately creation of an ARDEI medical education program objective (MEPO) domain.

During the 2020 US uprising for Black lives and concurrent increased awareness of national and global COVID-19 health inequities, our school set out to develop a comprehensive longitudinal ARDEI curriculum, spearheaded by students and bolstered by recommendations from our school’s Anti-Racism Task Force report [ 8 ]. The goal of this innovative curricular mapping was to discern ARDEI gaps in our program, engage faculty, and identify opportunities for sustainable curriculum development.

Building on existing US educational frameworks for structural and cultural competence, including the Association of American Medical College’s (AAMC) Tool for Assessing Cultural Competence Training (TACCT) [ 9 ], and Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) [ 10 ] and American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) DEI competencies [ 11 ], the team’s curricular goals were several. First, we recognized the need to build the curriculum upon a groundwork of psychological safety within our learning environment, which is a central tenet of learning in a competency-based medical education (CBME) framework [ 12 , 13 ]. A second major goal related to deconstructing the racial essentialism that taints science and medicine both historically and in the present. Third, we focused on bolstering student skills toward active engagement in clinical and structural change toward enhancement of excellence and equity in healthcare and scientific discovery.

Setting & participants

In Spring 2020, faculty and administrative leaders at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S,) a four-year, urban medical school in the Northeastern US, made a number of commitments to anti-racism [ 8 , 14 ]. One was creation of a faculty leadership position, Director of Equity and Justice (E&J) (author HC), within curricular affairs and linked to annual funding for five medical student E&J fellows. Additionally, faculty-student partnerships launched several urgently needed curricular enhancements to add critical content and strengthen learning environment psychological safety related to anti-racism discussions. To do so, we crafted student and faculty learning opportunities and structures to bolster growth mindset, student-faculty partnerships, and civil discourse regarding difficult topics such as systemic racism. These efforts included curricular initiatives to center skills that promote belongingness for all, particularly those underrepresented in medicine, as these are essential to wellness, high-functioning diverse teams, and are key to fostering cutting-edge scientific innovation [ 15 ].

Concomitantly, over 100 faculty leaders participated in longitudinal educational opportunities; also, individual bias-reduction consultation for educators was and continues to be widely utilized (> 50 consultations in academic year 2022–2023). Soon after these urgent initiatives were in place, the curricular mapping process began.

Identifying conceptual frameworks

Curricular mapping began using a backward design framework [ 16 ], with development of 10 ARDEI learning objectives. Several conceptual frameworks guided learning objective development, including the seminal schema published in 2020 by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Diversity and Inclusion (GDI) and Group on Faculty Affairs (GFA) [ 6 ] who recommended a pedagogy of anti-racism learning conceptualized as a pyramid with foundational awareness at the base of the pyramid, knowledge in the middle, and action-oriented leadership at the apex. We modeled our curriculum after this pyramid and added the concepts of both psychological safety and brave spaces [ 12 ] as the grounding on which the pyramid must be built. (Scholars conceptualize brave spaces of learning as those that merge psychological safety with encouragement for students to engage with ideas and skills that may be uncomfortable, with the understanding that discomfort may precipitate learning [ 17 , 18 ].) The AAMC draft (later finalized) DEI competencies offered invaluable additional core conceptual support to our curriculum mapping journey [ 19 ]. These AAMC guidelines cover 3 domains – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – and catalog demonstrable competencies for medical professionals at each stage of training: beginning residency, entering practice, and faculty educator. Similarly useful in structuring our curriculum from awareness and knowledge to action-oriented skills was the 2021 anti-racism framework developed by Camara Jones: See, Name, Understand, and Act [ 20 ].

Building learning objectives

The equity and justice team used the domains of the AAMC DEI competencies and the developmental progression of the AAMC GDI/GFA framework as a starting point. These were complemented by relevant aspects of benchmarks from the TACCT, LCME, and ACGME and edited to eliminate redundancy and emphasize institutional priorities, to generate 10 draft ARDEI learning objectives in Fall of 2020. See Fig.  1 for key contributors to the ARDEI MEPO domain.

Anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion MEPO domain: guiding frameworks and policies

Subsequent months were spent iteratively meeting with education leaders, including course and clerkship directors and finally our central curriculum committee, to gain perspectives, buy-in, and simultaneously map curricular activities. In fall 2022, during our school’s curricular revision process, the 10 ARDEI learning objectives provided a basis for development of the school’s new MEPOs, described below. The school’s central curriculum committee formally adopted the new MEPOs in spring 2023. See Fig.  2 for ARDEI MEPO domain creation timeline.

Timeline of anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion MEPO domain development

Mapping the curriculum

Following iterative development of 10 ARDEI learning objectives by students and faculty educators, the E&J medical student fellows and director mapped the learning objectives to the curriculum, meeting with course and clerkship directors, reviewing preclinical and/or clinical course outlines, lecture objectives, seminar foci, and assessment tools. The review included analysis of 445 pre-clinical lectures, > 24 courses, 6 core clerkships, electives, and sub-internships. See supplemental materials 2 for VP&S Four-Year Equity and Justice Curriculum Activities Mapped by Learning Objective.

Fortifying the curriculum

To strengthen curricular longitudinality and address urgent content gaps, we added several foundational sessions. See supplemental materials 3 for curricular specifics.

Pre-matriculation summer reading curriculum

We first initiated an anti-racism pre-matriculation summer reading curriculum, including diverse texts designed to cover a broad topic range including a history of racism in medicine, racial essentialism, structural competency, health disparities, and implicit bias. These readings are debriefed longitudinally throughout the first year, within courses such as genetics, cardiology, and the longitudinal sociobehavioral medicine course.

This pre-matriculation curriculum not only introduced students to many foundational topics, but also laid the groundwork for community conversations about racism. As previously mentioned, psychological safety is a bedrock for CBME and it cannot be overemphasized with reference to anti-racism related topics. Thus, we launched our anti-racism curriculum with a seminar-style discussion based on the Courageous Conversations® framework [ 21 ], which is designed to foster skills to assist in discussion of difficult topics. To anchor the conversation, we utilized James Baldwin’s “A Letter to My Nephew” [ 22 ] for its strong themes of history, systemic racism, and humanity. To facilitate and deepen this conversation, we chose a narrative medicine framework for its power to foster narrative humility, multi-perspectives, and radical listening [ 23 ]. This session was bolstered by 6 h of faculty development for seminar faculty facilitators, designed in partnership with Columbia University Teachers College faculty. Encouraged by students to obtain expert co-facilitators, we additionally engaged graduate students from our Teachers College, social work, and public health schools who were experienced anti-racism facilitators.

Upstander Curriculum

To further support learning environment belongingness, recognizing that chronic racism creates stress that can impair learning as well as academic and team performance [ 12 , 24 ], we launched a longitudinal upstander-skills curriculum. As an upstander is someone who intervenes on behalf of others [ 25 ], this curriculum offers students the opportunity to practice an advocacy intervention that may feel uncomfortable within a climate of non-judgement and support. Taught at three time points across four years, each session includes preparatory reading and interactive lecture, followed by small-group simulation during which students use sample cases to practice and discuss published strategies to utilize brave spaces for speaking and acting in support of others experiencing bias [ 26 , 27 ].

Multi-course anchoring and assessment

Finally, we developed longitudinal, multi-course opportunities for anchoring and scaffolding knowledge and strengthening assessment. One significant curricular addition is an Anti-Racism at the Bedside session [ 28 ], which links pre-clinical content to concrete clinical tools. This two-hour workshop, designed for second-year students on the cusp of entering their hospital rotations, includes a number of exercises designed to mitigate bias, including practicing history-taking utilizing the structural vulnerability assessment [ 29 ]; utilizing the Visualdx.com skin of color diagnostic resource [ 30 ]; and practicing note-writing to minimize stigma [ 31 ]. To bolster assessment, we integrated multiple choice and short answer questions, and essays within our organ and disease-based pre-clinical courses. Additionally, we partnered with primary care clerkship faculty to develop an essay evaluation rubric for structural competency. Because mapping demonstrated a strong curricular foundation in structural competency, students and faculty felt comfortable with a graded assignment for this topic.

Developing an anti-racism program objective domain

In fall 2022, our medical school began an expansive curriculum re-imagining. This process was parallel to the ARDEI curriculum development and deeply informed by the work described above. As a first step to the curriculum re-imagining, the school revised its overall medical education program objectives (MEPOs). In addition to incorporating the six ACGME core competencies to develop our MEPO domains, we created a novel ARDEI MEPO domain based upon the 10 ARDEI learning objectives. The novel ARDEI education program objective domain consists of three competencies: (1) Recognize personal biases and their impact on those around them and on patient care, and apply strategies to mitigate the effects of these biases; (2) Demonstrate skills necessary to serve as an ally to others and to promote agency in others when there is historical injustice; (3) Articulate structural and historical inequities and apply strategies to mitigate systems of oppression in order to achieve equitable health care and learning environments. Several of the original 10 ARDEI learning objectives were also mapped to additional MEPOs domains that include the core ACGME/American Board of Medical Specialties competencies: inquiry and anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion. One example is the learning about racial essentialism (e.g., use of race in medical algorithms) which is addressed in the medical knowledge domain. Similarly, understanding the value of diverse teams is covered under the systems-based practice domain.

Our approach to program evaluation has been continually evolving, and initial reviews and impact through various means of evaluation show promise. In February 2024, all students were invited to participate in an anonymous electronic pilot survey developed for this study assessing (a) longitudinality of ARDEI MEPOs and (b) curricular effectiveness in addressing ARDEI MEPOs. See supplemental materials 1 for the study survey. This pilot evaluation was classified as a quality improvement project under The Columbia University Human Research Protection Office guidelines and thus was exempt from IRB review.

One hundred and four of approximately 560 students responded to the survey (19% response rate.) A diversity of years of training were represented (28% fourth-year, 16% third-year, 15% second-year, 27% first-year, and 13% extended-year students [e.g., additional research year, MD/PhD, etc.]). Whereas demographics were not collected, respondents indicated 52% involvement in student-run free clinics and 61% affinity group membership [ 32 ].

Exposure to the MEPOs in the ARDEI domain in multiple learning sessions was prevalent. Additionally, participants rated reflection and knowledge objectives to be more effectively covered than skills application objectives. On a four-point Likert scale, from very effective to very ineffective, 83% selected “very effective” or “somewhat effective” for MEPO “Recognize personal biases and their impact on those around you and on patient care”; whereas 59% reported the curriculum was “very effective” or “somewhat effective” in meeting the MEPO “Apply strategies to mitigate systems of oppression in order to achieve equitable health care and learning environments.” Reassuringly, the MEPO addressing critical psychological safety, brave space, and belonging skills, “Demonstrate skills necessary to serve as an ally to others and to promote agency in others when there is historical injustice,” was strongly rated: 82% selected “very effective” or “somewhat effective.”

In open-ended responses, several students commented on curricular longitudinality, noting content was sometimes repetitive and anti-racist curriculum was most robust during pre-clinical years but tapered off during third and fourth years. Responses also highlighted a need to deepen anti-racism and health disparities content on the nuanced racialization of different groups of people of color. We plan to address this feedback in the upcoming academic year and hold focus groups to expand our understanding of students’ curricular experiences.

Preparing medical students for their role in addressing policies and practices in medicine that perpetuate systems of oppression is critical to achieving health equity. Through a close collaboration between students and faculty, we created mechanisms for rapid-cycle curricular innovations. We developed a novel anti-racism MEPO domain with longitudinal learning objectives that contributes to the growing corpus of anti-racism undergraduate medical education – providing a blueprint for creating content that is integrated across a curriculum.

This process was launched within the urgency of societal events in 2020; calls for rapid action led to initial short-term curricular additions. First, we focused on filling important content gaps for faculty and students and bolstering psychological safety to increase belongingness and a growth mindset within our learning community. We then transitioned to a backward design model, mapping opportunities to scaffold reflective, critical thinking and building opportunities for iterative knowledge and skill development.

It is important to note that foundational anti-bias work had previously been spearheaded by students in 2017, who launched anti-bias curriculum (ABC) faculty guidelines and an associated anonymous feedback portal to strengthen student-faculty partnership [ 33 ]. Three years later, in 2020, a survey of faculty revealed suboptimal use of the ABC and missed opportunities to decrease bias and combat racial essentialism in teaching materials. As a structural reminder, we launched a “disclosure slide” for faculty to display at the start of their teaching. On the slide, entitled “A Statement of Partnership and Humility,” faculty acknowledge that they have read the ABC and attempted to follow the ABC guidelines. Additionally, on the slide faculty invite direct or anonymous student feedback by posting their email and the link to our school’s anonymous bias feedback portal [ 34 ]. The slide is designed to strengthen and model a growth mindset/life-long learning perspective and is now used for all pre-clinical and an increasing proportion of clinical lectures.

Mapping our current curriculum to the newly developed ARDEI learning objectives and ARDEI-focused MEPO domain has enabled us to identify implementation barriers. A primary challenge of developing and implementing our longitudinal ARDEI curriculum, supported by student survey comments, is in situating and implementing anti-racism curricular content during the clerkship phase of the curriculum. This is our primary target currently; initiatives include development of an integrated, longitudinal OSCE-fortified, skill-based curriculum to scaffold student competency across required hospital clerkships.

Additionally, we have identified a need to develop, validate, and utilize robust assessments to demonstrate that learners are meeting the ARDEI learning objectives and MEPOs, i.e., that our longitudinal, supportive curriculum results in enhanced clinical behaviors and skills. We acknowledge that current evaluation data is preliminary, using limited survey data without validity evidence, and is limited to Kirkpatrick outcome levels 1 (satisfaction) and level 2 (knowledge). We are currently expanding on longitudinal assessment data to strengthen evidence of curricular effectiveness, particularly at the higher levels of behavioral change (Kirkpatrick level 3) which are an essential component of our ARDEI competencies.

Additional next steps include continued content, evaluation, and faculty development. Curricular mapping requires iteration and is key to remaining relevant within changing societal contexts. In Fall 2024, we broadened our focus from anti-black racism, adding required content about forced sterilization to highlight medicine’s complicity in promoting oppression, including antisemitism and eugenics impacting Jewish, Asian, and Hispanic populations and people with disabilities [ 35 ]. Additional ongoing content expansion plans include carceral care, climate justice, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex health. Notably, our curricular mapping process has become a blueprint for our school’s development of additional societal curricular themes as required by LCME guidelines. We will be conducting a formal evaluation of our ARDEI MEPOs and overall health equity and justice curriculum to continue to identify areas for improvement.

Finally, although our mapping was spearheaded by students, we recognize the need for and have launched a systemic, faculty-driven process in the form of an annual course director continuous quality improvement survey to document ARDEI learning and assessment plans and to solicit suggestions for faculty development. To reinforce faculty development, we are currently surveying our faculty to target follow-up development offerings.

Educating the next generation of healthcare providers to address and reverse unjust health disparities is not a matter of politics; rather excellence in science and medical education depends upon sequential, coordinated learning and practice of ARDEI knowledge and skills across the years of medical school. This article outlines a commitment to an ARDEI MEPO domain is both innovative in its scope and breadth. While many of the activities in the curriculum reflect widely used educational practices, the integration of structural competency and anti-racism throughout the four-year curriculum sets it apart. This approach is woven into the care of our diverse patient population and the community of Upper Manhattan, New York, NY, USA, reflecting a novel strategy to address the needs of both local and global communities that our graduates may serve.

The processes and preliminary outcomes of developing our longitudinal curriculum in equity and justice demonstrate a path forward, toward comprehensive, stepwise ARDEI learning and competency development that can be implemented by other schools. Central to implementation is early, sustained partnership between students and faculty, to foster the psychological safety essential to building engaging, trusted MEPOs for faculty and students. Extant, comprehensive AAMC DEI competencies offer an authoritative, leading-edge roadmap for MEPO development, from which backward design and iterative curricular mapping can foster longitudinal curriculum development. Our pre-matriculation reading curriculum provided a low-budget, high-content knowledge foundation, and our utilization of experts from education, public health, social work, community leaders, and the humanities, suggests a multidisciplinary strategy for content and faculty development that will support institution-specific curricular models. A longitudinal health equity and justice curriculum with well-defined anti-racist objectives that is (a) based within a supportive learning environment, (b) bolstered by trusted, structured avenues for student feedback and (c) amended with iterative revisions is a promising model to ensure that medical students are equipped to effectively address health inequities and deliver the highest quality of care for all patients.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

Association of American Medical Colleges

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education

Anti-racism diversity, equity, and inclusion (ARDEI)

Competency-based medical education

Liaison Committee on Medical Education

Tool for Assessing Cultural Competence Training

Medical Education Program Objective

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge former equity and justice fellows: Keyanna Jackson, Spencer Dunleavy, Veronica Kane, Gabrielle Wimer, Emily McNeill, and Grace Pipes for their invaluable contributions to this curricular mapping process. We are grateful to Aubrie Swan-Sein for her help with evaluation guidance. We also wish to thank foundations of clinical medicine faculty leaders, Michael Devlin, Delphine Taylor, Prantik Saha, Daniel Neghassi, Steven Canfield, and Beth Barron for their devotion to advancing this work.

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Hailey Broughton-Jones

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Jean-Marie Alves-Bradford, Jonathan Amiel, Omid Cohensedgh, Jeremiah Douchee, Harrison Fillmore, Chloe Harris, Rosa Lee, Monica L. Lypson & Hetty Cunningham

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Jennifer Egbebike

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H.B.J. participated is study design, and led drafting and completing the manuscript. JM.AB. co-led curriculum and study design and edited the manuscript. J.A. co-led curriculum design, and participated in drafting and editing the manuscript. O.C. participated in study concept and design; and acquisition and interpretations of data. J.D. participated in curricular mapping, study concept and design and prepared supplemental materials. J.E. participated in curricular mapping, study concept and design and prepared supplemental materials. H.F. participated in curricular mapping, study concept and design and manuscript revision. C.H. participated in study concept and design, acquisition, interpretation of data, and manuscript revision. R.L. was lead MEPO creator and participated in manuscript revision. M.L.L. co-led curriculum design and MEPO creation, and drafted portions of the manuscript. H.C. mentored all aspects of the project, including curriculum design and mapping, study design, manuscript writing, editing, and submission. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Broughton-Jones, H., Alves-Bradford, JM., Amiel, J. et al. Equity and justice in medical education: mapping a longitudinal curriculum across 4 years. BMC Med Educ 24 , 1229 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06235-y

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Essentials of Staff Development and Why You Should Care

Dean h gesme , md, facp, facpe, elaine l towle , cmpe, marian wiseman , ma.

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Dean H. Gesme, MD, specializes in oncology and internal medicine at Minnesota Oncology, Minneapolis, MN. Contact him at [email protected] .

Elaine L. Towle, CMPE, is director of consulting services at Oncology Metrics, Los Altos, CA. Contact her at [email protected] .

Marian Wiseman, MA, is founder of Wiseman Communications, Washington, DC. Contact her at [email protected] .

Accepted 2010 Jan 21.

Physicians may reason that their energy, education, and training should be focused on patient care and research, whereas staff education should be the responsibility of practice managers. But physicians have an important role in staff development.

Many corporate business owners and managers give little thought to staff education. They do not think it is part of their role, or if they do, they never have time to get around to it. For physicians in practice, another factor may contribute to a lack of involvement in staff development. Physicians may reason that their energy, not to mention their years of education and training, should be focused on patient care, research, and staying abreast of clinical advancements, whereas staff education should fall under the category of personnel and be the responsibility of practice managers.

If you have not given staff development much thought or think it does not affect your practice or patients, this article is for you. You have an important role in staff development: establishing its priority, encouraging it by example, and supporting it in your attitude and budget. The truth is that if staff education and development are not a priority for the physicians who own the practice, they will not be a priority for anyone under them.

What Is the Return on Investment?

Staff education should include a formal orientation program, cross-functional training, maintenance of professional skills, coaching, career development, and personal development. The pay-off for your practice is as follows:

Employee retention: Staff members develop loyalty to a practice because they feel you care about them as individuals. They benefit from personal and professional growth and do not feel their career has stalled out.

Staff morale: A practice culture that encourages learning and fosters education creates a positive, motivated, and committed workforce.

Practice efficiency: Orientation and cross training are essential for a smoothly running office. The stability and tenure that result from low staff turnover also contribute to efficiency.

Job competency: Employees who have received job-specific training are more productive and confident. Both clinical and administrative staff need ongoing education to stay current regarding the constantly changing aspects of oncology practice.

Patient satisfaction: Yes, staff education affects your patients, who benefit from your employees' skills, positive attitude, and efficiency. Employees who feel they make a difference in the mission do better work.

Practice management consultant Kenneth T. Hertz, CMPE, points out that supporting staff education also affects the profitability of the practice. “It all goes to the bottom line,” he says. “By promoting staff development, physicians create an environment where they say ‘you're important to us. We respect you and value you more than just the person that answers the phone.’ When they create that kind of environment, they set things in motion that produce improved employee attitude, patient satisfaction, and physician satisfaction.”

Your attitude—the emphasis you place on staff development—is the critical element. Not every practice can include tuition reimbursement as part of its benefit package, and covering expenses for travel to out-of-town conferences may not always be feasible. But many essential aspects of training have no direct expenses. Let your staff know that you consider their development important.

Management Training for First-Line Supervisors

Many managers have never had any formal management training. They became managers because they excelled in their work, but the skills that made them the best nurses, the most efficient coders, or top-notch office organizers do not necessarily make them first-rate managers. In addition, supervisory responsibilities such as coaching and team development may get short shrift because clinical or administrative productivity remains an important part of their job.

But good management skills are critical, because employees often decide to stay in jobs or leave them depending on how their bosses treat them, not because of the organization for which they work. Set an expectation that all managers in your practice receive management training. Many educational opportunities in basic management can be found through their own professional organizations, local universities, and professional training organizations.

Orientation

Traditional orientation—providing basic information about the practice, a tour, and face-to-face meetings with other staff—should be expanded to incorporate a longer process with a broader goal. The term onboarding (also known as assimilation) is now being used for an orientation process that has the goal of decreasing the time for a new employee to become productive.

An effective onboarding program starts before the employee's first day and continues for several months. The new employee's workspace, phone, e-mail account, and name badge should all be in place before he or she starts the job. Most important, there should be work for the new hire to perform during part of the first day. Your practice should have an established training program for relevant office procedures, and the employee's supervisor or an experienced staff member should have explicit training and coaching responsibilities.

Improve the onboarding process by making sure information flows two ways. When employees start work, ask them about their own concerns, whom they wish to meet, what they wish to learn, and what motivates them. After a few weeks, ask for feedback about the onboarding process and what other information or approaches might be incorporated to improve the ability of new employees to do their jobs well.

Effective Job Training

Employees, particularly front-office staff, typically receive on-the-job training for their positions. This training is highly variable because it depends on the knowledge and proficiency of the trainers. To reduce the variability, training should follow a structured list of tasks and subjects to be covered, the estimated time needed for training in each area, and performance standards to be achieved.

Continue training for employees throughout their tenure. A misguided belief shared by many managers is that if you hire competent people and pay them competitive wages, they will perform well indefinitely. Managers often do not understand the connection between performance and personal development. Do not limit training to new employees. Provide ongoing training programs in areas such as customer service, conflict resolution, and effective communication. Make cross-function training a standard part of your practice. In addition to the obvious advantages of providing leave-time coverage and continuity in case of abrupt departures, cross-training offers employees a chance to see what others do and gain a greater understanding of the overall practice.

Keep Up With the Legal Aspects of Practice

Just as the billing staff must receive regular updates in coding changes, and changes in the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments are critical to the laboratory, it is essential that managers keep abreast of the constantly changing field of employment regulations. Too often, physicians and managers rely on common sense or what they learned about the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and equal employment law in seminars they took 10 years ago to guide them in human resources practice.

Employment law is constantly changing, and small missteps can have grave ramifications in the areas of hiring, firing, performance evaluations, and documentation. Be sure that the senior management in your practice participates regularly in education in workforce regulations and that both physicians and employees are kept informed about current requirements and best practices.

Staff Development Without Expenses

Many educational opportunities that can benefit your staff are free. The following are a few examples:

Journal clubs: A staff development option that incurs no cost is a journal club, which can include both books and journals. Consultant Hertz encourages medical practices to include books and journals outside of the health care industry, noting that publications like Business Week and Harvard Business Review can offer provocative topics for discussion. Examples of books are Hardwiring Excellence and “ I Love You More Than My Dog ,” both of which deal with customer service. Assign specific chapters or articles, and meet weekly or biweekly for discussion at a lunchtime event or right after work.

Hospital programs: Local hospitals may offer free seminars, workshops, or Webinars on topics of interest to your staff.

Vendor-sponsored education: Sometimes vendors offer workshops on topics such as customer service or dealing with generational differences, in addition to their product-related training sessions. For example, a group of four companies in the Kansas City area created an innovative consortium that has been offering educational programs for medical office staff for 5 years. The consortium, MidwestMedTrust (Kansas City, MO), offers a series of “lunch and learn” workshops on topics such as work-life balance, dealing with difficult patients, hiring and retention, and embracing change. For the price of lunch, employees from medical practices gain insights and perspectives they can apply on the job. The consortium also works with practice administrators to present in-service sessions on topics of special interest to practices.

Government-supported programs: Government grants may also be available for staff education. The Piedmont Health Group (Greenwood, SC), a multispecialty group with a staff of 100, received a $10,500 grant for education under the Incumbent Worker Program of the Upper Savannah Council of Governments. The grant supported a 16-hour customer service training class presented over 8 weeks. Presented at one of the group's facilities, the interactive class included opportunities for employees to talk about issues they encounter at work. “It helped the staff understand how to handle different behavior types, to realize that not only are the patients their customers but so are their coworkers, and they need to listen to each other as well as the patients,” notes the group's administrator, Kim Bradberry. The grant also paid for a 12-week conversational Spanish class offered once a week after hours. To find out about education or grants that may be available to your practice, look for state and county programs funded by the federal Workforce Investment Act.

In-house education: Providing regular in-office educational programs offers a way to improve efficiency and remediate problems. One example is a 1-hour educational session held by the Piedmont Health Group every Thursday at two different times. Taught by staff from the billing office and presented at the corporate office, these educational sessions focus on problem areas the collections staff have noticed in the patient registration process. The participants learn shortcuts and receive retraining on correct procedures. Another benefit, notes practice manager Bradberry, is that the employees appreciate the opportunity to get out of their own offices and meet staff from other offices.

Professional Association Membership

Paying the annual dues for membership in professional associations is an excellent way to support staff development. The benefits of membership in a professional society—such as free publications and education, access to industry surveys, and, perhaps most important, networking opportunities—will accrue to their performance and the success of your practice. Membership in the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) has specific benefits for oncology practice mangers. At no additional charge, MGMA members can belong to the subgroup Administrators in Oncology/Hematology Assembly, an active group that holds its own annual educational conference and has an online forum.

Paying for dues in professional organizations such as the MGMA or Oncology Nursing Society is one of numerous benefits provided by the Kansas City Cancer Center (Overland Park, KS), an organization with approximately 350 staff members and five comprehensive cancer centers. “The physician leadership definitely consider staff education and professional development an investment in the practice,” says Mindy Swayne, CMPE, practice manager of one of the group's centers. The group also promotes certification and pays for education needed to attain and maintain it. For example, all nurses are required to be certified in oncology, the billing department has certified coders, and the practice manager at each location is certified by the American College of Medical Practice Executives. Swayne notes that support of education is not reserved just for professional staff. “If I have a receptionist who is interested in taking a workshop on customer service or how to deal with angry patients, she can receive paid time to attend, and the registration fee will be covered.”

Coaching and Mentoring

Training and coaching are distinct, although, certainly, there is some overlap. Training involves imparting knowledge and skills about processes, equipment, or services the employee will use on the job. Coaching is providing advice, recommendations, and guidance for the employees to perform well.

No formula can be applied to when, how, and by whom coaching should be done. Managers, team leaders, and coworkers may each fill the role of coach at various times. For new employees, a coach should be specifically assigned.

Mentoring is also an important part of employee development. Although coaching is largely task related and focused on performance, a mentor guides the employee as an individual. A mentor is typically selected by the employee rather than being assigned and is usually a role model. The mentor advises, shares experiences, and guides the employee in self-discovery and career development.

Leadership Development

Leadership training for both staff and physicians will pay off in many ways. Effective communication, development of a team culture, and conflict resolution are just a few of the many aspects of leadership training that can make a big difference in the practice. Do not limit leadership development to supervisors and executives. For example, any employee at the Kansas City Cancer Center can apply for the leadership development program offered by the practice. The structured 8-week leadership development program includes 2-hour classes in the evening and is offered three times a year. As practice manager Swayne comments, “Leadership is essential at all levels.”

Staff Education and Development Resources

Associations

American College of Physician Executives, www.acpe.org

American Society for Training and Development, www.astd.org

Medical Group Management Association, www.mgma.org

Professional Association of Healthcare Office Managers, www.pahcom.com Books

Levoy B: 222 Secrets of Hiring, Managing, and Retaining Great Employees in Healthcare Practices. Sudbury, MA, Jones and Bartlett, 2006

Spath PL (ed): Guide to Effective Staff Development in Health Care Organizations: A Systems Approach to Successful Training. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass, 2002

Murphy S: Leading, Coaching, and Mentoring the Team: A How-to Guide for Medical Practices. Denver, CA, MGMA, 2009

Authors' Disclosures of Potential Conflicts of Interest

The authors indicated no potential conflicts of interest.

Author Contributions

Conception and design: Dean H. Gesme, Elaine L. Towle, Marian Wiseman

Administrative support: Marian Wiseman

Data analysis and interpretation: Dean H. Gesme, Marian Wiseman

Manuscript writing: Marian Wiseman

Final approval of manuscript: Dean H. Gesme, Elaine L. Towle, Marian Wiseman

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