The Medical Education Track is designed to provide students with a foundation in all aspects of medical education, from research to innovation to practical skills and teaching. In this Track, students will learn the principles behind health professions curriculum development and evaluation, learner assessment strategies, instructional methodology, as well as teaching skills. Research projects are diverse, ranging the spectrum from determining the outcomes of educational interventions to exploring current cutting-edge strategies in medical education, as well as evaluating curricula. Students in this Track will gain a set of skills that can be used to teach peers, learners, and patients.
The Medical Education Track utilizes active experiences, reflection, and group learning to gain new knowledge and apply it to individual projects. The First-Year Elective offers students a 10-week primer on all aspects of medical education, with a capstone individual hot topics presentation. All projects are mentored by selected faculty mentors, as well as by the Track Leaders. A unique requirement of the track is that all students participate in some type of teaching experience during medical school, including but not limited to Teaching Assistant opportunities, the Becoming a Resident Teacher elective (for which they have priority registration), as well as national teaching skills training. With the completion of the Track requirements, students are prepared to be exceptional educators during residency and beyond, as well as future leaders in medical education.
Meet the Track Leaders
Dr. Farnan is Professor of Medicine, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education at the Pritzker School of Medicine and also an Internal Medicine hospitalist. She received her Master's degree in Health Professions Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago and currently serves as a core faculty for for the MERITS Fellowship (Medical Education Research Innovation Teaching and Scholarship) where she teaches curriculum development and evaluation. Dr. Farnan's main research interests include clinical supervision of residents, teaching and evaluating handoffs, and the intersection between professionalism and digital media.
Dr. Fromme is Professor of Pediatrics, Associate Program Director for the Pediatrics Residency Program at University of Chicago Medicine, and is a Pediatric hospitalist. She obtained a Master's in Health Professions Education from University of Illinois at Chicago and currently serves as core faculty for the MERITS Fellowship (Medical Education Research Innovation Teaching and Scholarship) where she teaches the theory and practice of medical education. Dr. Fromme's scholarly interests include how to teach residents to teach and the use of direct observation in medical education.
