The U-M Medical School Department of Learning Health Sciences Master of Health Professions Education (MHPE) program enables practicing health professions educators to use their on-the-job activities and experience to demonstrate competence across five core domains:
- Theories of Teaching and Learning
- Teaching Practice
- Assessment and Evaluation
- Research and Scholarship
- Leadership
Across our five domains, learners demonstrate mastery of 12 competencies, following their individual learning plan. Learners and mentors work one-on-one to establish the individual learning plan and timeline during MHPE program orientation. The learning plan outlines specific entrustable professional activities (EPAs) that provide evidence of competence. Learners also may apply prior experience to show competence.
Program faculty guide learners and use rigorous standards for assessment. As learners complete projects in their workplace, MHPE program faculty provide individual guidance via phone, email, online group discussions and one-on-one virtual meetings. For competency areas that need further development, faculty assign key resources to support the learner incompleting EPAs.
The program defines 12 competencies across five domains that developing educator-leaders need. Learners must demonstrate evidence in all 12 of the competencies.
Each learner is assigned a mentor to assist in developing an individualized learning plan and to advise them as they work toward competence in these 12 areas.
- Education Theory
Identify and apply theoretical constructs and approaches to inform their analysis and action towards common medical education problems.
- Health Education Context
Understand the background of medical education to provide a context for current educational issues and problems
- Educational Methods
Make thoughtful and reasoned selections among educational methods and technologies
- Curriculum Development
Analyze educational needs and develop appropriate curriculum to address them
- Educational Community
Foster the development of an educational community within a given institutional environment
- Assessment
Understand and apply principles of assessment (Individual Learner)
- Evaluation
Understand and apply principles of evaluation (Program)
- Research Methods
Understand and apply research methods
- Educational Scholarship
Develop a program of educational scholarship
- Personal Leadership Skills
Understand and apply personal leadership skills
- Leadership Theory
Select and apply relevant theories of leadership
- Organizational Leadership
Analyze organizational structures to diagnose problems and to affect change.
Each learner works closely with their mentor to develop and carry out an individual learning plan based on current professional responsibilities and goals. Mentors guide learners to select resources, strategies, and at imeline for demonstrating competencies.
Learners remain at the center of the learning process, gain greater autonomy in accomplishing professional goals, and enjoy flexibility in their learning plan as new opportunities arise.
To graduate, learners must earn 32 credits that map to each competency at least two times and address a range of entrustable professional activities.
An entrustable professional activity (EPA) is an essential activity that health professions educators commonly perform in the context of their professional role.
Learners work with their assigned mentor to choose from among 22 possible EPAs (below), based on current job responsibilities, experience and career goals. The chosen EPAs comprise the individual learning plan.
Each EPA includes scholarly articles, case studies, engagement with subject matter experts and other educational resources. Faculty mentors also help identify further resources for individual learners.
Each EPA represents one or more competencies, and each competency within an EPA is associated with one credit. To earn credit, learners must provide appropriate evidence to the assessment committee for review.
Required evidence varies by EPA and could include a paper, video presentation, slide presentation, grant application, portfolio, etc.
- Select and demonstrate competency in a range of teaching methods
- Learn, network, and contribute within a learning community
- Create compelling presentations employing varied and appropriate media
- Design and implement a curricular intervention
- Select a learning outcome and design, select, and develop an appropriate assessmentmethod
- Design a learner assessment blueprint for a selected educational intervention/curriculum.
- Select and implement an appropriate standard setting method for a selected assessment method and application
- Design and implement a program evaluation of an existing educational program/curriculum
- Critique a curricular change
- Develop a proposal for organizational change
- Implement change in an organizational setting
- Design and implement a research study
- Write a grant proposal to fund an educational research or evaluation project
- Write a scholarly (non-research) position or review paper of publication quality
- Critically review research manuscripts
- Create a Learning Plan
- Create an Educator's portfolio
- Solicit feedback on one's leadership and teaching from multiple observers & critically reflect on it
- Mentor a colleague or learner or consult with an organization
- Custom Professional Activity (Proposed by learner)
- Developing Enduring Educational Resources
