Master of Science in Medical Education Curriculum
Curriculum of the MSMEd Degree
Educational Competencies
The MSMEd’s curriculum is thoughtfully designed to create education specialists competent in the areas of educational practice, research & scholarship, curriculum, and administrative leadership. The fully online curriculum consists of 34 credit hours of coursework delivered in over two years or in an accelerated one-year track. The coursework is centered around four competencies:
Teaching
- Educational Psychology for Medical Educators
- Clinical Teaching Skills
Leadership
- Educational Leadership
- Administrative Skills
- Educational Assessment & Evaluation
Research Skills
- Educational Research Methods
- Educational Statistics
- Educational Scholarship I: Problem Identification & Needs Assessment
- Educational Scholarship II: Goals & Objectives
- Educational Scholarship III: Teaching Strategies & Assessments
- Educational Scholarship IV: Program Implementation & Evaluation
“The MSMEd program gives me the ability to effect the future of medicine in a unique way. As life-long learners in the medical field, I thought it was important to understand all facets of medicine, and that involves the educational aspect. The program has allowed me to gain a better appreciation for medical education as a whole, while also allowing me to create a thesis project that aims at bettering the current medical curriculum.” – Michael Furey, Class of 2021
Mentored Thesis Research Project
Four sequential courses systematically support students in a research thesis from start to finish. Students identify an educational problem of interest then choose between creating a curriculum or a research project to solve the identified problem. Experienced faculty provide feedback and serve as mentors. The desired outcome of the thesis is a grant proposal or journal article ready for submission.
Distance Learning Delivery
The MSMEd curriculum is delivered entirely online through distance education. Asynchronous assignments allow busy healthcare professionals the flexibility to successfully complete coursework within their schedules and anywhere connection to the internet is available. MSMEd faculty are readily available through email, discussion forums, zoom, or by telephone. LECOM instructional technology provides additional support. The only time that MSMEd students and faculty meet face-to-face is for the LECOM graduation Commencement Ceremony in Erie, PA.
The LECOM Master’s in Medical Education program is a highly organized and efficiently run program. It is an excellent program in content and delivery – Bob Hostoffer, LECOM Class of 2019.
Curricular Pathways: 1-year accelerated or 2-year traditional?
The MSMEd curriculum is delivered as 13 courses over a trimester format of Summer, Fall, and Spring Semesters.
- The traditional two-year pathway requires students to complete two courses per trimester over two years and is intended for those who have other commitments (e.g. residents, dual enrolled students, working practitioners).
- The accelerated one-year pathway requires students to “double up” on coursework – students must complete four courses per trimester. This accelerated pathway is intended for those students that have less outside time commitments (e.g. gap-year students).
How is learning assessed?
Learning is assessed through coursework submitted online. These assignments include scholarly writing assignments, forum discussions, and the master’s thesis. In the spirit of distance education and the competency-based education model, flexibility in assignment due dates is permitted to make learning success a priority.
How to get started?
The first step in the application process is to complete an online inquiry here: https://lecom.my.site.com/apply
Accreditation
LECOM’s Master of Science in Medical Education program is fully accredited by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Board of Education.