An update on master's degrees in medical education

Abstract

Planning and implementing educational programs in medicine optimally requires a background in educational theory and practice. An avenue of training open to such practitioners is a master's degree in medical education. A single 1998 report lists the programs known at that time and information about them remains scarce. The authors have re-examined all current programs offering master's degrees in medical or health sciences education in the English-speaking world, including the Netherlands. The authors contacted the programs identified in the 1998 report to establish how many were still in operation. The search was extended using Pubmed and other search engines. A further verification targeted a selected sample of 10 prominent US medical schools. Twenty-one currently operating programs were identified: six in the US, eight in the UK, three in Canada, three in Australia and one in Holland. Seven of nine original master's programs were still in existence. URLs, website and other logistical information about each program are tabled. A master's degree in medical or health sciences education is the most specific method for medical faculty to obtain a credentialed grounding in educational theory and practice. The authors provide up-to-date contact information for current programs and summarize other related essential logistical data.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Richard Cohen

RICHARD COHEN, MBChB FRCPC, is a Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia.

Lucas Murnaghan

LUCAS MURNAGHAN, MD, is a resident in the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of British Columbia.

John Collins

JOHN COLLINS, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia.

Dan Pratt

DAN PRATT, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia.