Master of Science in Medical Education Curriculum
Curriculum of the MSMEd Degree
Educational Competencies
The curriculum consists of 32 credit hours of online coursework delivered in either a two-year track or an accelerated one-year track. The MSMEd is designed to create the knowledge, skills, and behaviors of education specialists in competency areas of Educational Practice, Research & Scholarship, and Leadership & Administration. Program outcomes include: 1) performance improvements in the practice of education across all health professions stakeholders, including patients, students, residents, practitioners, and faculty; 2) enhancement of scholarly writing skills, and 3) obtainment of a formal credential denoting yourself as an educator-scholar leader!
“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
Educational Practice
(3.5 credit hours per course)
- Educational Psychology for Medical Educators
- Clinical Teaching Skills
- Effective Lecturing Skills
- Educational Research Methods
Educational Leadership & Administration
(2.5 credit hours per course)
- Educational Leadership
- Administrative Skills
- Educational Assessment & Evaluation
- Educational Statistics
Research & Scholarship
Master’s Thesis Coursework (2.0 credit hours per course)
- Educational Scholarship I: Need Assessments & Rationale Statements
- Educational Scholarship II: Project Goals & Objectives
- Educational Scholarship III: Teaching Strategies & Assessments
- Educational Scholarship IV: Program Implementation & Evaluation
Mentored Thesis Research Project
Students progress through four sequential courses that systematically take the student from start to finish of a research project. Students can choose between creating a curriculum or research project to solve a health professions problem of interest. An experienced faculty member is provided to provide feedback and direction. The desired outcome of the thesis is a grant proposal or journal article ready for submission.
Distance Learning Delivery
The MSMEd curriculum is delivered online through distance education. Asynchronous assignments allow busy healthcare professionals the flexibility to successfully complete coursework anywhere connection to the internet is available. MSMEd faculty are readily available through email, discussion forums, or by telephone. LECOM instructional technology provides additional support. The only time that MSMEd students and faculty meet face-to-face in Erie, PA, is over one weekend near the end of the program when they present their theses and participate in workshops at the PRIME Conference.
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 12 courses over a trimester format, which includes Summer, Fall, and Spring Semesters.
- The traditional two-year pathway requires students to complete two courses per trimester over two years and is designed 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 for those students who desire full-time graduate student status and have less outside time commitments (e.g. gap-year graduates, transitional rotating interns, full-time graduate students).
How is learning assessed?
Students learning is assessed through coursework submitted online. These assignments include scholarly writing assignments, application papers, forum discussions, written examinations, master’s thesis, and participation in the PRIME Conference. In the spirit of distance education and the competency-based education model, flexibility in assignment due dates are permitted to make learning success a priority.
How can I get started?
The first step in the application process is to complete an online inquiry here: portal.lecom.edu/ICS/MS_in_Medical_Education_Inquiry.jnz
Accreditation
LECOM received full approval for the Master of Science in Medical Education programs from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Board of Education.