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Creating a Medical Education Unit: Pearls and Pitfalls India Broyles EdD, Rorie Lee PhD MPH, Sarah Sprafka PhD, Mildred Savidge PhD, Evelyn Schwalenberg-Leip DO, Kathryn Thompson PhD University of New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine, 11 Hills Beach Rd, Biddeford, ME 04005 Maine, the Way Life Should Be! Background In its 2001 strategic plan, The College of Osteopathic Medicine called for the development of a medical education unit. In the spring of 2003 a group of interested people throughout COM began discussion and planning. The concept of a medical education unit was derived from a set of needs: • Curriculum revision from an outcomes/ competency-based approach • Interests of the people in the group converge and overlap • A forum for networking, problem identification, and solution for cross-curricula faculty • An agenda for medical education research • A master plan in faculty development across COM • Use of technology, including distance learning, to enhance teaching and learning Mission The Center is dedicated to enhancing the quality of medical education and scholarship in the College of Osteopathic Medicine and extended medical education communities. ORGANIZATIONAL CHART Office of the Dean DeanÕs Council Academic Affairs GOALS The Center promotes: • Program development including curriculum and instructional support, • Program evaluation including learner assessment, • Clinical and educational research and scholarship, • Collaboration among COM faculty/staff and with other UNE units, • Professional development for faculty and staff • Grant acquisition for educational improvement. INITIAL VISION A “virtual” unit would provide an opportunity to combine current resources in a more efficient manner that insures continuity and shared complementary expertise. The Center for Educational Enhancement (CMEE) would become the hub for support of work in other units. Our vision of this educational center was to: Capitalize on the expertise of educational personnel and serve as a “think tank” to approach problems and create new ideas in the UNECOM medical education process. Encourage, support, and conduct clinical and educational research as well as other forms of scholarship. Offer the medical educators at UNECOM a networking and feedback group with opportunities to critique and encourage each other. Increase medical educators’ participation in college governance, policy development, and educational issues. The implementation stalled. A new curriculum-revision committee began a year-long study. As the work advanced, the committee realized the need for one unit with the authority and expertise to guide the multiple elements of a comprehensive curriculum, instruction and assessment plan with concurrent faculty development. The medical education unit needed an institutional home with authority Office of Community Programs Office of Continuing Medical Education Office of Clini cal Affairs Center for Medical Education Enhancement Program Development Evaluation & Research Instructional Technology Office of Basic Sciences Office of Student Affairs Office of Curriculum Support Office of Faculty Development POTENTIAL OUTCOMES/TASKS VALUES Innovation – serves as internal and external change agents Systematic Development – coordinates the development, implementation, and evaluation of educational programs Service – serves the college, the university, the community, and the profession Collegiality – supports and augments individual efforts through collaboration, consultation, and teamwork Scholarship – strives for excellence in the pursuit and dissemination of new knowledge in medical education Advocacy – seeks to empower and secure access Inclusion – thrives on strength through diversity Quality – uses evidence/data as part of quality improvement The Center for Medical Education Enhancement seeks to Promote vertical and horizontal organization of educational programs Correlate faculty development with curriculum design Promote research on medical education and stimulate scholarship with faculty, staff, and students Seek grant support for internal development and grant/contract support for larger projects that extend our influence in medical education Improve the quality of program development and research in medical education Increase participation in governance Develop strong relationships with funding agencies and organizations Encourage the development of certificate/degree in medical education Manage the current resources to bring together technology and media for the improvement of medical education