Doctoral Program in Health Professions Education

Photo of Doctoral Theses

About

In 2010, UCSF joined in collaboration with Utrecht University Medical Center (UMC Utrecht) to offer the Doctoral Program in Health Professions Education. This collaboration makes possible a rigorous program for scholarly advancement for medical education researchers. Successful candidates graduate with a PhD in Health Professions Education from UMC Utrecht. Well-regarded medical education researchers serve as mentors.

Our focus is primarily on UCSF or UCSF-affiliated faculty but we will entertain applications outside UCSF. We will accept applications in 2022 for the cohort to begin in 2023.

Eligibility

Individuals eligible for the doctoral program:

Are a health professional with preparation in education OR
Are a health professions educator with a master’s degree in social or biomedical sciences.
UCSF or UCSF-affiliated faculty; or staff involved in health professions education; exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis
Are scholarly in health professions education, e.g., they have completed the UCSF Teaching Scholars Program or equivalent
Are proposed for the program by a program faculty member agreeing to act as the primary supervisor (promoter), based on CV, interview and research plan.
Publications in education research are highly desirable.

Application Process

Steps in the application process are spaced over the first year:

Request an informational meeting with a doctoral program faculty member. Send your CV to CFE and brief description of your research interest that aligns with the program.
Successfully meet the criteria for the doctoral program.
Criteria include:
- demonstrated capacity for conceptual thinking;
- strong desire to conduct research;
- adequate content expertise in an area for research;
- adequate educational background and experience.
Receive an invitation for a formal interview and present your research interests describing alignment with the expertise of doctoral program faculty.
Approval for enrollment generally occurs during the second block of the curriculum.
Complete a first draft of Training and Supervision Agreement (TSA) with guidance from assigned faculty mentors from UCSF and Utrecht during the first in-residence week of the program.
Tuition payment begins January of the 1st year when the candidate begins attending the doctoral seminar.

Program Faculty and Areas of Research

Broadly speaking, CFE medical education research faculty focus on several key areas with attention to how this research aligns with improving education at UCSF and beyond. These key areas will evolve as we collaborate with other researchers at UCSF, regionally, nationally, and internationally. However, each faculty member has specific research interests and expertise.

Current Participants and Graduates

Name	Title and Department	Thesis
Judith Bowen, MD, PhD	Professor of Medicine Washington State University Associate Dean for Curriculum Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine	On Discontinuity and Learning: Investigations of Physicians’ Responses to Transitions of Patient Care Responsibility (2019)
Huiji Carrie Chen, MD, PhD	Associate Dean for Assessment and Educational Scholarship Professor of Pediatrics Georgetown University School of Medicine Adjunct Professor of Medicine Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences	Early Learner Engagement in the Clinical Workplace (2015)
Amber Fitzsimmons, DPTSc	Associate Professor and Chair Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science UCSF School of Medicine (Entry Year - 2018)
Leslie Floren, PharmD, MA	Academic Coordinator Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences UCSF School of Pharmacy (Entry Year - 2015)	Learning to Work Together Interprofessionally- Interaction, Knowledge Construction, and Informal Learning in Clinical Education (2022)
Tracy Fulton, PhD	Professor Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics UCSF School of Medicine (Entry Year - 2020)
Brian Gin, MD, PhD	Assistant Professor Department of Pediatrics UCSF School of Medicine (Entry Year - 2020)
Karen Hauer, MD, PhD	Associate Dean for Competency Assessment and Professional Standards Professor of Medicine Department of Medicine UCSF School of Medicine	Evaluating Clinical Trainees in the Workplace. On Supervision, Trust and the Role of Competency Committees (2015)
Kai Kennedy, DPT	Associate Professor Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences UCSF Graduate Division (Entry Year - 2021)
Carter Lebares, MD	Assistant Professor Department of Surgery UCSF School of Medicine (Entry Year - 2020)
Lauren Maggio, PhD	Professor of Medicine Uniformed Services University (USU) Center for Health Professions Education (CHPE) Associate Director for Scholarly Communication for CHPE	Educating Physicians in Evidence-Based Medicine: Current Practices and Curricular Strategies (2015)
Lynnea Mills, MD	Associate Professor Department of Medicine UCSF School of Medicine (Entry Year - 2018)
Justin Sewell, MD, MPH, PhD	Professor of Medicine Department of Medicine UCSF School of Medicine	A Critical Lens for Examining Procedural Skills Training in the Health Professions – The Case of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (2019)
Jody Steinauer, MD, PhD	Professor and Vice-Chair of Education Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences UCSF School of Medicine Director UCSF Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health	Learning to Care for “Difficult Patients”: Motivation, Identity, and Reflection in Medical Students and Residents (2019)
Gustavo Valbuena, MD, PhD	Clinical Associate Professor Joint Medical Program UC Berkeley School of Public Health UCSF School of Medicine (Entry Year - 2018)
John Young, MD, MPP, PhD	Professor and Chair Department of Psychiatry Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Chair Department of Psychiatry Zucker Hillside Hospital Senior Vice President Behavioral Health Northwell Health	Using Cognitive Load Theory to Understand and Improve Patient Handoffs (2016)

Contact

Doctoral Program Administrative Coordinator, Maria Pappas at maria.pappas@ucsf.edu