Health Professions Education (HPE)

Simulation based learning has become a major component of health professions education. This course enables the learner to utilize simulation as a tool in their educational repertoire through theory and practical knowledge of the elements of simulation. The learners will apply the fundamentals and theory of simulation into their educational practice with a focus on selecting the appropriate simulation modality to fulfill objectives including task trainers, high fidelity simulation and standardized patients; effectively using debriefing to provide formative and summative feedback; and designing (and garnering administrative support for) a simulation activity.

This course is designed to expose students to an array of leadership theories along with an examination of the various lenses with which to view organizations. Students will explore viewing higher education organizations using a structural, human resource, political and symbolic lens. This strategy will serve to inform the emerging higher education leader about the value of examining the interrelationship between organizational culture and the development of administrative leadership acumen. Students will be able to analyze their personal alignment with various approaches to leadership and examine their own organization using the four frames approach.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of curriculum and program development principles within health professions education. Students will explore key elements of the curriculum design process, including needs assessment, goal and objective formulation, instructional planning, implementation, and evaluation. Emphasis is placed on aligning curriculum with learner needs, educational outcomes, and institutional goals, while incorporating evidence-informed instructional strategies. Students will apply course concepts to develop a curriculum proposal suited to their professional context.

This course prepares students to design and implement effective strategies for assessing learner performance and evaluating educational programs in health professions education. Grounded in evidence-based practices, students will explore the alignment of learning outcomes with instructional strategies, assessment methods, and feedback mechanisms. The course explores the development and application of effective evaluation methods to measure the impact of educational programs, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with educational goals.

The purpose of this course is to teach skills and concepts needed to plan, conduct, and analyze educational research and scholarship. This course is designed for current healthcare professionals seeking to bridge the gap between their everyday practice and scholarly contributions. It empowers healthcare practitioners, educators, and leaders to leverage their practical experiences and insights into valuable scholarship that can enrich the broader field of health professions education.

How do identities, beliefs, and lived experiences impact equitable health education and clinical learning interactions and outcomes? How is community and belonging achieved to maximize trust, learning and outcomes? Through self-reflection, discussion, and the examination of identity, bias, and principles and strategies for facilitating inclusive health education and clinical learning experiences, participants will gain a strong foundation for inclusive engagement and an increased confidence in their ability to foster trust and belonging in educational interactions.

This course explores legal, ethical, and political issues governing graduate and health professions education institutions in the United States through a review of significant laws, policies, regulations, and judicial opinions that affect higher education institutions. It provides health professionals transitioning into or working in higher education with a basic understanding of legal concepts that directly apply to their work and student affairs. Topics of discussion will include student, staff, and faculty constitutional rights, privacy laws, employment law within the university and clinical setting, contractual obligations, and federal regulation of higher education issues including financial aid, civil rights, and more.

Effective grant writing can be a crucial skill for healthcare professionals, especially in education. HPE 640 is an introductory grant writing course that aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills to write successful health professions education-based grant proposals. This course will cover developing grant ideas, reviewing institutional support, securing project mentors, and time management. We will also focus on identifying problem statements, refining project aims, practice effective writing strategies, budget allocation, and navigating grant-writing pitfalls. Most importantly, students will practice their grant writing skills.

This course is designed for educators in the graduate medical education (GME) space. Focus will be on workplace based learning strategies and the unique needs of GME learners including the Clinical Learning Environment, competency based medical education and assessment, specific educational strategies, and the personal and professional development of trainees.

The Capstone is an intensive project focused on the student’s specific area of interest within Health Professions Education which requires the completion of two one-credit courses. HPE 700 is the first course in the capstone sequence and focuses on the Capstone proposal development. In this course students will apply knowledge and skills acquired throughout the entire program of study, to develop a scholarly project. With the guidance of a Faculty Mentor, students will make connections among concepts, ideas and experiences and apply them to design define objectives and formulate their Capstone study plan and delineate deliverables and milestones. Successful completion of HPE 700 is determined by a finalized study plan approved by the Program Director.

The Capstone is an intensive project focused on the student’s specific area of interest within Health Professions Education which requires the completion of two one-credit courses. HPE 701 is the second course in the capstone sequence and focuses on the successful completion of the Capstone project. With the guidance of their Faculty Mentor, students will apply knowledge and skills acquired throughout the entire program of study, to implement the scholarship plan developed in HPE 700 Health Professions Education Capstone I and complete their project.