Education Scholars Program

The Education Scholars Program (ESP) is a one-year certificate program designed to prepare education leaders to be successful scholars (including both the scholarship of teaching and education research).

Distinctive features include:

A process that identifies promising medical educators and leaders who wish build career paths dedicated to scholarship in health professions education.
Participation in a community of practice that supports longitudinal learning, and opportunities for networking and mentorship.
A focus on developing a foundation in education theory and methods, and dedicated time to apply content to design, implement, and disseminate education scholarship projects.

Interested in joining a future cohort?

Applications are currently open for the 2024-25 cohort. Apply by May 1.

Learn more and apply

Program structure

Classroom activities will include small and large group sessions, asynchronous activities, and mentored time for applying educational concepts to current projects.

The program meets Tuesdays from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Matriculated scholars must attend 70% of sessions and should anticipate one hour of preparation as well as one hour applying learning concepts to educational settings each week.

The 2023-24 cohort will run from September 19, 2023 to June 11, 2024.

Program content

Education scholarship

This is the central focus of the program and includes strategies for building an academic career upon the scholarship of teaching and education research. Skills taught will include academic writing, peer review principles, writing up innovations and quality improvement projects for publication, and education research methods.

Curriculum

Scholars will learn principles of curriculum design, and concepts of time-based versus competency-based models.

Assessment

Principles of feedback and learner assessment will be covered, including how to develop a program of assessment.

Instructional strategies

Skills in leading discussions, large group teaching, one-on-one teaching, feedback, workplace-based teaching and assessment, and simulation.

Diagnostic reasoning

Building knowledge structures, diagnosing learners, and coaching strategies will be included.

Near Peer Mentor Group

Mackenzie Cook, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Division of Trauma, Critical Care & Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery

Holly Villamagna, M.D.
Fellow, Infectious Disease

Leila Zuo, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine

Eligibility & Application

Individuals with clinical teaching responsibilities who anticipate career paths significantly dedicated to scholarship in health professions education are welcome to apply. The program is open to physician chief residents, fellows and faculty, and educators with clinical teaching responsibilities from the professions of dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and physician assistants.

Interested classroom educators may also apply and should contact the course directors directly.

How to apply

During yearly application windows prospective learners will be asked to submit:

Current CV
Letter of interest outlining current education responsibilities and activities, areas of interest in teaching, educational leadership, and/or education scholarship, career goals in the next 3-5 years, and how this program will help the candidate attain these goals. As this program focuses on education scholarship, please specifically describe your interest in education scholarship and how you will apply the content in this course towards advancing your career.
Letter of support from the candidate’s direct supervisor highlighting the candidate’s strengths and potential for contributions to the OHSU community of educators. The letter must indicate how the Department or Unit will assure the scholar will be free from other routine commitments on Tuesday afternoons between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. and indicate commitment to covering tuition for non-School of Medicine applicants ($2500 per scholar).

NOTE: Participants must have some regular clinical teaching responsibilities for application of newly learned concepts and strategies.

Applicants will be notified via email once decisions have been made.

Selection criteria: Applications will be scored based on the candidate’s expressed interest in education scholarship; description of how ESP will help them achieve their career goals; future vision for their careers as education scholars; the strength of the supervisor’s letter of support; their scholarly potential; and prior experience and accomplishments in education scholarship.

Interested in joining ESP? Sign up to get notified when applications open.

Cost

There is no tuition cost for learners from within the School of Medicine. Participants from schools other than the School of Medicine are also encouraged to apply, and will be charged a tuition of $2500.

Program history

Graduates of the Education Scholars Program have assumed leadership roles in the OHSU School of Medicine and national organizations. Many report increased career satisfaction as educators and some have become education researchers.

Course faculty and advisory board

Course faculty

Erin Bonura, M.D., M.C.R.

Dr. Bonura received her medical degree from Georgetown University in 2006. Following medical school, she completed her internship and residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and New York University where she became board certified in Internal Medicine and was also named Chief Resident. Subsequently, Dr. Bonura completed her Infectious Diseases Fellowship as well as the Education Scholars Program at Oregon Health & Science University.

Given her passion for medical education she completed a second fellowship at OHSU in General Internal Medicine and her Master's degree in Clinical Research with a focus on medical education methods and outcomes in the undergraduate and graduate settings. In addition to her scholarship, Dr. Bonura has taken on a number of education leadership roles at OHSU including Prematriculation Block Director, Thread Director of Microbiology & Immunology for Undergraduate Medical Education and Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program. She is also one of the founding members of the Educators' Collaborative which brings together individuals dedicated to education and furthering this mission at OHSU.

Lainie Yarris, M.D., M.C.R.

Dr. Yarris is Professor of Emergency Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. She is a graduate of a two-year fellowship in education research. She is Residency Director for the Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Co-Director of the Emergency Medicine Education Scholarship Fellowship, and Education Section Director. She is Deputy Editor for the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, and decision editor for Academic Emergency Medicine and Academic Emergency Medicine Education and Training. Her academic interests include faculty development in education, academic physician wellness, feedback in medical education, and medical education research methods. She has extensive experience teaching multidisciplinary learners in a variety of medical settings.