Navigating Health Professions Educator Development Programs

I am frequently asked by trainees and junior faculty whether, how, and when to pursue additional training in health professions education. It is a bit of a full circle moment for me, as I had the same questions earlier in my career. With the ever-evolving and increasing number of workshops, pathways, certificates, fellowships, and degree programs available for health professions educators, how does one choose what is the right fit and when to pursue it? For those of us who have walked this path, how do we guide those who come after us? Over my career, some of the most impactful experiences have been programs that intentionally blend theory, practice, and a community of peers—such as the course I completed through the Harvard Macy Institute. Drawing on my personal experience completing a Master in Education in the Health Professions (MEHP) degree, a Harvard Macy Institute (HMI) course, and other professional development programs, this post offers guidance to those who are considering advanced training opportunities in health professions education.

First, it is important to recognize that participating in and completing educator development programs can make a substantial difference in educational knowledge, teaching skill, professional identity formation, and career advancement and satisfaction. Educators who have completed postgraduate training, such as certificates or graduate degrees, have reported improved educational practices, greater engagement in scholarly activities, enhanced abilities to facilitate curriculum reform, and increased expertise in assessment and feedback practices. Professional identity formation as an educator is also associated with postgraduate qualifications. Multiple program evaluations in the literature attempt to quantify the impact of individual degree programs. For example, graduates from a master’s-level degree program in medical education attributed competence in education and engagement in scholarship to their training. While these single-cohort evaluations have limitations, a comparison of individuals who participated in a series of faculty development workshops with matched controls noted that participants perceived greater success and growth, placed higher value on academic scholarship, and reported increased local and national networking compared with the control population. However, there is great variation among educator development programs in their design, scope, methodology, and outcomes.  

Clearly, educator development programs can produce substantial benefits. However, the return on investment is often unclear at the outset, and the variety of options can be overwhelming. How does one decide whether to pursue additional training and if so, which path to take? How can mentors help guide these decisions? Rather than directly comparing the pros, cons, and tradeoffs of different programmatic approaches, it may be more helpful for those seeking to further develop their careers as educators to consider the following reflection questions when considering a particular program.

Why do you want to participate in this program? What are you hoping to achieve? Is it the chance to learn specialized content? The opportunity to grow over time while investing in your own education? Or to build relationships and networks that may augment future professional opportunities? Different programs have varied scope and foci, and one approach may be a better fit than another for a given educator. Knowing your why can help determine whether engaging in an educator development program is appropriate, when to do so, and which type will be most helpful based on its size, scope, time commitment, and cost.