How to become A Medical Educator

“Expertise is a primary currency for identity in academic life”; nowhere is this time-tested adage more evident than in Medical Educators who use their mastery in designing, implementing, and evaluating effective education to train prospective healthcare professionals.

• Nonphysician Medical Educator
• Health Specialities Teacher, Postsecondary
• Health Specialities Professor

What do Medical Educators do?

A Medical Educator would typically need to:

• Teach health speciality courses in fields such as dentistry, laboratory technology, medicine, pharmacy, nurse assisting, therapy, and veterinary medicine
• Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course material, and teaching methods
• Prepare course material, including syllabi, homework assignments and handouts; gather appropriate supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment
• Put together a carefully-compiled list of specialised material for outside reading assignments
• Supervise undergraduate or graduate students in academic, internship, and research activities
• Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate and graduate students on public health, stress management, and worksite health promotion
• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions; monitor laboratory sessions
• Evaluate and grade students' class work and homework assignments; compile, administer, and grade examinations or assign the task to a suitable substitute
• Hold regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students on academic and career-related matters; tutor struggling students
• Mentor student organisations; help students with research projects or in gaining experience as student teachers
• Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other essential documents; assist with student recruitment, registration, and placement 
• Engage in campus and community events; serve on academic/administrative committees focused on institutional policies and academic issues
• Address academic and research issues in collaboration with colleagues; serve as department head when required
• Draft and develop grant proposals to secure external research funding for upcoming developments in the field
• Conduct research in their field of expertise; publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media

Medical Educators typically divide their time between the classroom, laboratory, on-campus office, and faculty lounge. Regular interaction with students and colleagues is expected. You may travel to attend conferences and workshops.

Although Medical Educators usually work Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm, monitoring and managing laboratory experiments may require your presence in the evenings and on weekends.

Research suggests that flexible hours and generous telework policies appeal more than salary to the younger generation. There has been an incremental increase in employers willing to give promising employees a chance to adjust their schedules per the job demands.

Finding a new job might seem challenging. Medical Educators can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies. Part-time and flexible work is possible. You can take career breaks.

Medical Educators are generally employed by:

• Community Colleges
• Four-Year Colleges and Universities

Professional associations and organisations, such as The Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE), are crucial for Medical Educators interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. 

Professional associations provide members with continuing education, networking opportunities, and mentorship services. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

• Resistance to change among faculty members in the face of a constantly evolving medical education field
• Collaboration and small-group learning that challenge the traditional concepts of independent investigation and individual achievement
• Lack of adequate time and resources to carry out proper teaching, research, and administration
• Biases including gender, age, race, status, experience, speciality, religion, and geography
• Satisfactory fulfilment of multiple professional roles as a teacher, researcher, and administrator
• Integration in the curriculum among silos of disciplines and departments, specialities, and interprofessional and multidisciplinary work

Applicants for the position of Medical Educator need extensive skills and knowledge, more than five years of experience in their chosen health speciality, and adequate experience teaching and training others.

Some academic programmes offer workshops on adult learning theory, giving feedback, writing test questions, team-based learning, screencasting, large-group instruction, active learning and mentoring, and simulation instructor training.

Students may be required to participate in DOT (directly observed teaching) sessions under the supervision of an expert Medical Educator who will provide feedback on using diverse formats, such as lectures, small-group instruction, precepting students, and leading simulations.

Seize all opportunities to write research papers and present them at conferences, so you can build valuable contacts and have a good shot at landing a lucrative job. Students may also need to develop concise yet thorough reflections on all the activities they participated in during the semester.

Potential Medical Educators may be asked to address a burning issue in medical education through a scholarly project including peer-reviewed publications, curriculum development material, educational blogs, research and quality-improvement initiatives. 

Read about the profession and interview or job shadow experts working in medical education to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers.

A postgraduate diploma, master’s degree or doctorate in health occupations, education, sociology, theology, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, toxicology, biostatistics, or epidemiology will enable Medical Educators to teach courses in health specialities.

Four-year colleges and universities usually accept applicants with a doctoral degree, while community colleges may accept candidates with a master’s degree for some of the positions.

In addition, aspirants may avail of accredited certificates in medical education offered by medical schools. The programme, which may last one to two years, includes in-class and offline participation. 

An ideal academic programme would help the student acquire valuable knowledge of the principles and methods for curriculum development, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and evaluating student performance.

Recommended high school courses include biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, statistics, physical education, health care, anatomy and physiology, exercise science, nutrition, and first aid. English and speech classes will help you develop your research, writing, and oral communication skills.

Remember that completing a particular academic course does not guarantee professional entry. Be that as it may, professional qualifications and transferable skills  may open up more than one door.

Do your homework and look into all available options for education and employment before enrolling in a specific programme. Reliable sources that help you make an educated decision include associations and employers in your field.

Certification in childbirth education, allied health education, public health, biofeedback, neurofeedback, and diabetes education from an objective and reputed organisation can help Medical Educators stand out in a competitive job market and increase their chances of advancement.

Also of value would be authentic certification in analytical/statistical software, database user interface and query software, and office suite software, along with scanning, word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.

A combination of education, experience, and testing is generally required to gain certification, though requirements differ from region to region. Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.

Medical Educators may also need to undergo an employment background check, including but not limited to a person’s work history, education, credit history, motor vehicle reports (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, use of social media, and drug screening.

Performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional qualifications drive the career progression of Medical Educators who can pursue teaching, leadership and management, or research careers in settings as diverse as universities, policy organisations, and clinical workplaces.

Medical Educators who progress to postdoctoral research positions on fixed-term contracts can gain research fellowships or become Principal Investigators and lead the departmental research team. 

With significant experience, you may also work as a Clinical Education Policymaker or Manager. Acting as an Expert Consultant to government agencies and commercial organisations is also possible.

The desire to accelerate career growth and personal development has an increasing number of millennials choosing to job hop and build a scattershot resume that showcases ambition, motivation, and the desire to learn a broad range of skills.

Studies prove that job hopping, earlier dismissed as “flaky” behaviour, can lead to greater job fulfilment. Employees searching for a positive culture and interesting work are willing to try out various roles and workplaces and learn valuable, transferable skills along the way.

Candidates with a PhD in a relevant field, adequate experience, and a passion for teaching undergraduate and graduate students have the best job prospects.

Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Medical Educator build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, 

formal education, or self-directed learning. CPD also enables the regular renewal of desirable certifications.

Future-oriented Medical Educators must develop the enthusiasm, clarity, organisational skills, and ease in interacting with medical students that their clinical colleagues are famous for.

Teachers, researchers, policymakers, and consultants will find reading current literature, participating in professional conferences, and communicating with colleagues helps them keep abreast of developments in the field of medical education.

Medical Educators can expect support and additional training from the academic institution or from Vitae, a non-profit global leader with over 50 years of experience in enhancing the skills of researchers. 

In partnership with governments, funders of research, professional bodies, trusts & foundations, universities, and research institutes, Vitae offers training, resources, events, consultancy, and membership.

An Ongoing Debate

Despite the growing need for qualified Medical Educators, there must be more clarity worldwide regarding their job titles, academic backgrounds, and specific job responsibilities.

The present profile focuses on Medical Educators with a non-medical background. These Postsecondary Health Specialities Teachers, as they are also known, hold a postgraduate diploma, master’s degree or doctorate in health occupations, education, physiology, sociology, theology, pathology, pharmacology, toxicology, biostatistics, or epidemiology. 

Their primary responsibilities include curriculum development, teaching, and research in a non-medical capacity.

The field of medical education also includes medically-trained clinicians. Otherwise known as clinician-educators or physician educators, these professionals are fully-qualified MDs (Doctors of Medicine) who must judiciously balance their clinical practice and practice-related activities with teaching and research. 

Mastery of the art and science of medicine helps clinician-educators act as critical role models. 

With teaching and patient care happening in identical settings, students can directly observe how the clinician-educator obtains information, assesses and interacts with patients, uses common sense as an additional tool in dealing with specific cases, and displays empathy, compassion, and professionalism.

Medical Education in Need of a Major Overhaul

Most physician educators need to be adequately trained to teach and find it challenging to acquire the necessary knowledge in the face of continued time constraints and demands of practice. 

Increasing accountability, documentation requirements, the exponential growth of the volume of medical knowledge and treatment options, rising patient expectations, and demands to decrease costs and increase revenue make it very difficult for a practising physician to add a comprehensive understanding of adult education theory, valid needs assessment, curriculum development, and medical education research to their jam-packed learning portfolio.

Although nonphysician Medical Educators can never replace physician educators, their unique training in adult learning theory, educational research skills and instructional design can provide quality clinical skills training and evaluation at a reduced cost. Of equal importance are their alternative perspectives on burning issues in medical education and recommendation of areas for future research.

The Current Scenario

A constantly growing demand for physicians translates into a steady increase in new medical schools and enrollment in existing schools. However, the current crop of practising physicians does not have enough time to educate and evaluate the next generation of qualified health professionals.

Consequently, there is a compelling need for professional nonphysician Medical Educators who have played a critical role in the learning of aspiring health professionals for over 80 years. The profession is expected to grow rapidly in the next decade and will have numerous job opportunities worldwide.

“Health Systems Science”, co-authored by the American Medical Association, establishes health systems as the third pillar of medical education alongside basic and clinical sciences.

Although the nonphysician Medical Educator cannot take the place of a physician educator, their curriculum design, evaluation and outcomes research skills validate the role they play in the increasingly relevant interdisciplinary education and team training of today’s health professionals.

“Understand that medical education is a field, not a discipline. Quality scholarship in medical education is usually the result of thoughtful conversations of differences in perspectives.”

Sayra Christancho & Lara Varpio