An Update on Master's Degrees in Medical Education
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Medical Teacher, Vol. 27, No. 8, 2005, pp. 686–692 An update on master’s degrees in medical education RICHARD COHEN, LUCAS MURNAGHAN, JOHN COLLINS & DAN PRATT Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada SUMMARY Planning and implementing educational programs Steinert et al. (2003) reported on a one-year faculty in medicine optimally requires a background in educational theory development program offered by the medical education and practice. An avenue of training open to such practitioners is a department at McGill University aimed at increasing skills master’s degree in medical education. A single 1998 report lists the in teaching, administration and educational research and programs known at that time and information about them leadership. A one-year post-completion survey showed that remains scarce. The authors have re-examined all current many faculty members had joined new educational commit- programs offering master’s degrees in medical or health sciences tees, taken on new leadership roles in medical education, education in the English-speaking world, including the and developed new courses for students and residents. Netherlands. The authors contacted the programs identified in Likewise, Gruppen et al. (2003) at the University of the 1998 report to establish how many were still in operation. The Michigan reported on a program with similar objectives and search was extended using Pubmed and other search engines. outcomes. Paloli et al. (2003) demonstrated that even short- A further verification targeted a selected sample of 10 prominent term programs combined with proper needs assessments US medical schools. Twenty-one currently operating programs can provide practical and theoretical foundations for were identified: six in the US, eight in the UK, three in Canada, developing educational skills. three in Australia and one in Holland. Seven of nine original What of those individuals who require a deeper under- master’s programs were still in existence. URLs, website and other standing of educational theory, research and practice, either logistical information about each program are tabled. A master’s in the hope of assuming leadership roles in educational degree in medical or health sciences education is the most specific development and administration of medical schools, or method for medical faculty to obtain a credentialed grounding in for their academic ends alone? Scho¨n (1995) has pointed educational theory and practice. The authors provide up-to-date out that scholarship which goes beyond telling practitioners contact information for current programs and summarize other ‘how’ requires a new epistemology, one that examines the related essential logistical data. theoretical foundations and rationale behind educational For personal use only. practices and which focuses on the philosophical justification of the specific outcomes sought in medical education. Schools of education commonly have departments of Introduction curriculum studies giving instruction in specific areas, but Educating medical students and residents is a complicated these are usually aimed at the elementary or secondary and time-consuming process. Prospective physicians must educational levels. Further study in adult education is also an acquire a large body of knowledge and incorporate it into a option but the field is vast, and in most departments is usually working framework of clinical reasoning that in turn informs directed toward the social sciences. The unique demands of effective medical practice. The skills, techniques and mind- medicine require the depth and breadth of a master’s degree specific to medical (or health professions) education—a Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by McMaster University on 12/01/10 sets which medical instructors must possess in order to cultivate the transformation of students into physicians do training platform aimed at a higher level than those provided not arise automatically, nor are they inborn. by most faculty development, certificate or diploma pro- There is an increasing appreciation of the contributions grams. Cusimano and David (1998) reported on existing opportunities in health professions education and identified of educational research and theory as valuable resources 15 programs. There are critical access problems for anyone in developing and delivering effective medical training seeking information on such programs, however. Although (Whitcomb, 2003). Specialists who focus their academic their article has been available for seven years, it has only work and research on educational issues need appropriate been cited twice elsewhere in the literature, and on both academic training in educational theory and practice in order occasions by the same author (Steinert, 2000; Steinert et al., to make significant contributions to understanding and 2003). Thus we had three objectives in conducting this study: improving ‘what works’ in medical education. first, to re-examine Cusimano and David’s data to see which Various avenues are open to physicians or other of those programs still existed; second, to identify any new healthcare professionals and educators who wish to enhance programs that had been established in the interim; and third, their skills in educational theory and research in medical to summarize the information available on these programs’ education contexts. Many faculty development programs are websites for the medical community at large. operated by medical schools themselves. These programs extend anywhere from a single lecture to a single day, to a Correspondence: Dr Dan Pratt, Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of year or two in length, and all aim to increase the academic Education, University of British Columbia, 2125 Main Mall, Vancouver, expertise of their participants. BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada. Email: [email protected] 686 ISSN 0142-159X print/ISSN 1466-187X online/05/080686–7 ß 2005 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.1080/01421590500315170 Table 1. Data summary for the twenty-one programs. Geographic Academic Program Program Institution location location Degree title Certificate Diploma Website Contact name Contact email director Duration delivery CANADA University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Faculty of Master’s of No No http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ Dr. Daniel Lang dan.lang@ Dr. Daniel Lang, 3 years Both (Ontario Institute for Canada Education Education depts/tps/program_he_ utoronto.ca PhD Studies in Education) (OISE) (Health masters.html Professions Specialization) Dalhousie University Halifax, NS, Department of Masters of Education/ No No http://facdev.medicine.dal.ca/ Cynthia Mantley Cynthia.Mantley@ Dr. Fred French, 2–3 years Both and Mount Saint Canada Education Master of Arts degree.htm msvu.ca PhD Vincent University (Mount Saint in Education with Vincent a Conc. In Med Ed University) University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Faculty of Masters of Science No No http://gse.myweb.med.ucalgary.ca/ Kate Judycki mededgrd@ Dr. Claudio Violato, 2–7 years Face to Face Canada Medicine in Medical MedicalEducation.html ucalgary.ca PhD Education UNITED STATES University of Illinois Chicago, College of Masters of No No www.uic.edu/com/mcme/ Janet Settle [email protected] Dr. Ilene Harris 2–3 years Both at Chicago Illinois, Medicine Health Professions mhpeweb/Home.html USA Education For personal use only. (MHPE) University of Pittsburgh, School of Masters in Yes No www.crhc.pitt.edu/cetp/ Claudia Brink [email protected] Dr. Rosanne Granieri, 2–3 years Face to Face Pittsburgh Pensylvannia, Medicine Medical MD USA Education University of Los Angeles, Faculty of Masters of No No http://mededonline.hsc.usc.edu/ Cris Argosino argosino@ Ms. Diane 2 years Both Southern California California, Medicine Science in msedprog.html usc.edu Boughton, MSEd (Keck School of USA Education Medicine) University of Cincinnati, College of Online Masters Yes Yes www.cincinnatichildrens.org/ Lea Alaee lea.alaee@ Dr. Kadriye Lewis, 2 years Online only Master’s degrees in medical education Cincinnati Ohio, Education Degree in ed/clinical/grad/masters/ cchmc.org EdD USA Education default.htm Loma Linda University Loma Linda, Faculty of Master of Science Yes No www.llu.edu/llu/grad/ Lisa M. Beardsley, lbeardsley@ Dr. Billy Hughes, Not Not Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by McMaster University on 12/01/10 (Graduate School) California, Medicine healthprofessions/ PhD, MPH llu.edu PhD Specified Specified USA Vice Chancellor, [email protected] Academic Affairs University of Ann Arbor, School of Masters of Education No Yes http://www.soe.umich.edu/ Larry Gruppen lgruppen@ Dr. Patricia King, 2 years Both Michigan Michigan, Education with a Concentration highereducation/overview/ umich.edu PhD USA in Medical Education index.html 687 R. Cohen 688 et al. UNITED KINGDOM University of Sheffield, Faculty of Masters in Yes Yes http://www.shef.ac.uk/%7edme/ Gail Hible g.hible@ Dr. Patsy Stark, 3 years Both Sheffield England Medicine Medical Education courses/masters.htm sheffield.ac.uk PhD (Academic Unit of Medical Education) University of Dundee Dundee, Faculty of Masters in Yes Yes www.dundee.ac.uk/prospectus/ Margaret Christie c.m.e.courses@ Dr. Margery H. Davis 1–6 years Both Scotland Medicine, Medical Education graduate/profiles/meded.html dundee.ac.uk Dentistry and Nursing Cardiff Cardiff, Faculty of Masters of Science No Yes http://www.uwcm.ac.uk/study/ Zara Evans [email protected] Prof. T.M. Hayes, 2–3 years Face to Face Wales Medicine in Medical postgraduate/medical_education/