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From trainees to teachers

The ability to become a good educator as well as a good clinician is a hallmark of Penn State Health/Penn State College of Medicine’s graduate medical education programs.

In partnership with the Woodward Center for Excellence in Health Sciences Education and the Office for a Respectful Learning Environment, the Office of Graduate Medical Education makes available a number of training and recognition opportunities in the area of education.

Resident and Fellow Educator Training Programs

  • The Residents as Educators initiative consists of several programs designed to help residents and fellows grow as educators.

    About the Programs

    Core sessions: Quarterly, virtual large-group sessions on basic clinical teaching skills

    Teaching retreats: Quarterly, virtual/in-person small-group workshops to practice teaching skills

    Medical Education for GME elective: Two-week immersion with didactics, peer teaching and simulation

    Clinician-educator track: Longitudinal, flexible track with individualized curriculum, direct observation and mentorship

    Different programs for different goals

    For all clinicians: Core sessions, focusing on teaching skills

    For education enthusiasts: Advanced sessions, including retreats and elective, focusing on curriculum design

    For future clinician-educators: Tracks, focusing on leadership, scholarship and professional identity

    Program timeline

    Core sessions

    • September, November, January, March
    Retreats

    • October, December, February, April
    Elective

    • January
    Clinician-educator track

    • Longitudinal
  • The core sessions are quarterly, virtual large-group sessions on basic clinical teaching skills.

    These sessions are suitable for all clinicians.

    Email the Woodward Center for details and dates

  • Teaching retreats are half-day programs for residents designed to build teaching skills and facilitate personal goals related to teaching.

    Each retreat covers adult learning theory and instructional techniques with the opportunity to apply these skills in real time and obtain feedback.

    Email the Woodward Center for details and dates

  • The Medical Education for GME elective is a two-week rotation for residents designed to enhance the teaching knowledge and skills of residents and to promote understanding of introductory concepts in medical education scholarship.

    By the end of the elective, residents should be able to:

    • Describe and apply medical education teaching tools.
    • Discuss the evidence for use of identified tools in medical education.
    • Explore concepts in adult learning theory and apply those concepts to their teaching.
    • Demonstrate effective bedside, small-group and large-group teaching.
    • Develop a medical education teaching session (two weeks) or scholarship project (four weeks).
    • Recognize the value of medical education scholarship in career advancement.

    Email Dr. Rachel Casas for details

  • The Clinical Educator Track is a longitudinal, flexible track with individualized curriculum, direct observation and mentorship.

    It is geared mainly toward those who intend to pursue a future as clinician-educators.

    Email the Woodward Center for details

The Residents as Educators initiative consists of several programs designed to help residents and fellows grow as educators.

About the Programs

Core sessions: Quarterly, virtual large-group sessions on basic clinical teaching skills

Teaching retreats: Quarterly, virtual/in-person small-group workshops to practice teaching skills

Medical Education for GME elective: Two-week immersion with didactics, peer teaching and simulation

Clinician-educator track: Longitudinal, flexible track with individualized curriculum, direct observation and mentorship

Different programs for different goals

For all clinicians: Core sessions, focusing on teaching skills

For education enthusiasts: Advanced sessions, including retreats and elective, focusing on curriculum design

For future clinician-educators: Tracks, focusing on leadership, scholarship and professional identity

Program timeline

Core sessions

  • September, November, January, March
Retreats

  • October, December, February, April
Elective

  • January
Clinician-educator track

  • Longitudinal
The core sessions are quarterly, virtual large-group sessions on basic clinical teaching skills.

These sessions are suitable for all clinicians.

Email the Woodward Center for details and dates

Teaching retreats are half-day programs for residents designed to build teaching skills and facilitate personal goals related to teaching.

Each retreat covers adult learning theory and instructional techniques with the opportunity to apply these skills in real time and obtain feedback.

Email the Woodward Center for details and dates

The Medical Education for GME elective is a two-week rotation for residents designed to enhance the teaching knowledge and skills of residents and to promote understanding of introductory concepts in medical education scholarship.

By the end of the elective, residents should be able to:

  • Describe and apply medical education teaching tools.
  • Discuss the evidence for use of identified tools in medical education.
  • Explore concepts in adult learning theory and apply those concepts to their teaching.
  • Demonstrate effective bedside, small-group and large-group teaching.
  • Develop a medical education teaching session (two weeks) or scholarship project (four weeks).
  • Recognize the value of medical education scholarship in career advancement.

Email Dr. Rachel Casas for details

The Clinical Educator Track is a longitudinal, flexible track with individualized curriculum, direct observation and mentorship.

It is geared mainly toward those who intend to pursue a future as clinician-educators.

Email the Woodward Center for details

Exceptional Teachers: Residents and Fellows

  • Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center accept ongoing nominations for the Exceptional Moments in Teaching award.

    The award, given monthly by the Office for a Respectful Learning Environment, accepts nominations from College of Medicine students who are invited to submit narratives about faculty members, residents, fellows, nurses or any other educators who challenge them and provide an exceptional learning experience. See more about the award here.

    Each month, the Office for a Respectful Learning Environment honors one of the nominees. Read more about the latest honorees in these stories.

    In addition, all trainees and their nominators’ comments are listed here in order of nomination date. Click the + next to each nominee to see nominator comments.

  • Each year, medical students who are completing their clerkships show their appreciation for their GME colleagues by nominating them for the annual Resident Excellence in Teaching Awards. These awards acknowledge GME trainees’ outstanding work happening every day on the College of Medicine’s teaching services.

    Recipients of this award are listed here.

Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center accept ongoing nominations for the Exceptional Moments in Teaching award.

The award, given monthly by the Office for a Respectful Learning Environment, accepts nominations from College of Medicine students who are invited to submit narratives about faculty members, residents, fellows, nurses or any other educators who challenge them and provide an exceptional learning experience. See more about the award here.

Each month, the Office for a Respectful Learning Environment honors one of the nominees. Read more about the latest honorees in these stories.

In addition, all trainees and their nominators’ comments are listed here in order of nomination date. Click the + next to each nominee to see nominator comments.

Each year, medical students who are completing their clerkships show their appreciation for their GME colleagues by nominating them for the annual Resident Excellence in Teaching Awards. These awards acknowledge GME trainees’ outstanding work happening every day on the College of Medicine’s teaching services.

Recipients of this award are listed here.

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