An innovative program for physicians and healthcare professionals who want to lead the way in medical education

The Medical Education (Med Ed) master's program is a unique collaboration between physician educators and education experts. We provide a comprehensive, innovative curriculum designed for physicians and other healthcare professionals who want to pursue master-level training, evidence-based education, educational scholarship, and educational technologies. Our approach—brief on-site intensives paired with flexible distance learning—accommodates professionals from a broad geographic area and with a broad variety of professional roles and responsibilities.

What Sets Us Apart

3 collaborators A collaboration of Penn GSE, Perelman School of Medicine at Penn, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  Designed to work with participants' busy clinical, administrative, and educational commitments
  Created by physicians and education professionals who collaborate on all aspects of the program

About the Program

The Medical Education master’s program prepares healthcare professionals to be teachers of medical educators, educational scholars, and leaders who influence and inspire others to learn in undergraduate and graduate medical and healthcare programs. Our two-year program trains physicians and other healthcare professionals in the science of education while remaining solidly grounded in the medical environment. The executive format includes on-site classes over long weekends, independent study, and online sessions.  

Application deadline
Rolling admission
Entry term(s)
Fall
Course requirements
10 credit units, 4 learning blocks
Typical course load

1 block per semester

Duration of program
2 years

Culminating experienceMaster's capstone

Schedule
  • Executive-Style
Modality
  • Hybrid
Programs for Working Professionals
Overview

Participants complete four learning blocks over four semesters: Learning and Technology, Educational Research, Leadership, and Master’s Capstone. Virtual coaching clinics are coordinated with each of the program blocks. These clinics hone students’ online teaching abilities and collaborative learning skills, and help students complete their block assignments.

Prepare to teach medical educators: Gain an understanding of how adults learn, how to develop effective and efficient educational experiences in medical education, and how to teach others to do the same. Prepare to take on the many challenges facing medical educators, including assessment, curricular design, and integrating educational technologies into all types of learning experiences.

Become a medical education researcher: Gain the skills and knowledge to meet the growing need for research and innovation in medical education. Learn how to evaluate programs and publish your research in this area.

Grow into a leadership role at your healthcare organization or medical school: Influence and inspire others to learn. Develop the leadership competencies to plan, implement, and maintain successful, sustainable programs. Acquire leadership skills and tools that are highly relevant to medical education.

Admission to the Medical Education master’s program is offered every two years. The application for the Fall 2024 cohort will be available on September 1, 2023.

Curriculum

Our curriculum is designed to integrate the expertise of professional educators with the perspective of clinicians. Created for adult learners, the program is active, engaging, and experiential. We provide the newest thinking and scholarship in a variety of learning formats.

Our Master of Education (M.S.Ed.) requires completion of four blocks, each composed of on-site large-group and synchronous remote small-group sessions in the following areas:

  • Learning and Technology: The Learning and Technology block introduces participants to theories of, and research on, learning, curriculum, instruction and technology in medical education. It connects the theories and research to learning and technology practices in the academic medical and healthcare contexts. In addition, participants will develop a deeper understanding of common educational challenges such as learner assessment, curricular development, and pedagogical techniques.
  • Educational Research: Inquiry and investigation are central to refining and advancing education in medicine and healthcare. Leaders in medical education must also be skilled in program evaluation, which requires research. During the course of the Educational Research block, participants will become familiar with evaluation tools and techniques, qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, and pragmatic aspects of educational scholarship such as proposal development and publishing research.
  • Leadership: The Leadership block provides an opportunity to explore concepts such as emotional intelligence, how to influence and motivate others, group and classroom dynamics, power dynamics, organizational change, and the impact of organizational culture on leading and learning in complex systems. Central to this block is the understanding that people with advanced training in education will be called upon to develop and administer programs, which requires leadership skills that few in medicine are ever taught.
  • Master’s Capstone: The Master’s Capstone allows students to design their own paper and/or project based on needs in their individual workplaces. The project/paper structure is clearly outlined by program directors and supported through synchronous and asynchronous online sessions with faculty and students.

Virtual coaching clinics are coordinated with each of the four blocks of the program, and there are three or four clinics per block. The clinics hone students’ online teaching abilities and collaborative learning skills, and help students complete their block assignments. Clinic time is an essential part of teaching and learning in medical education, and coaching supports knowledge retention and skill acquisition. By harnessing technology, the Med Ed program provides students with small group teaching and learning experiences in the virtual world, overseen by experienced and trained coaches.

For information on courses and requirements, visit the Medical Education M.S.Ed. program in the University Catalog.

Schedule

Cohort 2024-2026

Block

Week One

Week Two

Learning & Technology

September 12 - 15, 2024

October 24 - 27, 2024

Educational Research

February 6 - 9, 2025

March 20 - 23, 2025

Master’s Capstone I

June 26 - 29, 2025

July 24 - 27, 2025

Leadership

September 18 - 21, 2025

October 23 - 26, 2025

Master’s Capstone II

February 5 - 6, 2026

March 19 - 20, 2026

Graduation 2026

May 2026 (Exact date TBA)

 

Cohort 2022-2024

Block

Week One

Week Two

Learning & Technology

September 15 - 18, 2022

October 20 - 23, 2022

Educational Research

February 9 - 12, 2023

March 23-26, 2023

Master’s Capstone I

June 22 - 25, 2023

July 27 - 30, 2023

Leadership

September 21-24, 2023

October 26 - 29, 2023

Master’s Capstone II

February 8 - 9, 2024

March 14 - 15, 2024

Graduation 2024

May 2024 (Exact date TBA)

 

Our Faculty

Penn GSE Faculty Donald Boyer
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology & Critical Care, Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine
M.D., University of Pennsylvania
Penn GSE Faculty Yasmin B. Kafai
Lori and Michael Milken President’s Distinguished Professor
Ed.D., Harvard University
Penn GSE Faculty Annie McKee
Adjunct Professor & Senior Fellow
Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University
Penn GSE Faculty Jay Mehta
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania
M.D., University of Nevada
Penn GSE Faculty James P. Orlando
Chief Graduate Medical Education Officer, St. Luke’s University Health Network
Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania
Penn GSE Faculty Lara Varpio
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine
Ph.D., University of Waterloo
Penn GSE Faculty Anna K. Weiss
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine
M.D., University of Pennsylvania
Penn GSE Faculty Kandi J. Wiens
Senior Fellow
Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania
Penn GSE Faculty Tasha R. Wyatt
Associate Professor, Uniformed Services University
Ph.D., University of Hawai‘I – Manoa

Affiliated Faculty

Patti Adelman
Vice President, Center for Learning and Innovation & Physician Leadership Institute, Northwell Health
Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania

Anthony R. Artino, Jr.
Professor, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Ph.D., University of Connecticut

Dorene Balmer
Director of Research on Pediatric Education at The Children’s Hospital Philadelphia
Ph.D., Temple University

Quinn Bauriedel
Co-Artistic Director, Pig Iron Theatre Company
Diploma, Theatre, Ecole Jacques Lecoq

Robbin Chapman
Adjunct Associate Professor
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Constance Filling
Chief Learning Officer, Association of American Medical Colleges
Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania

Pam Grossman
Professor of Education
Ph.D., Stanford University

Eric S. Holmboe
Chief Research, Milestone Development, and Evaluation Officer, ACGME
M.D., University of Rochester School of Medicine

Fran Johnston
Founder and CEO, Teleos Leadership Institute
Ph.D., Temple University

Rachel K. Miller
Associate Professor, Division of Geriatrics, Perelman School of Medicine
M.D., University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; M.S.Ed., University of Pennsylvania

Jennifer Moyer
Executive Coach and Leadership Development Consultant, JSMoyer Consulting
M.Ed., University of Virginia

Leslie K. Nabors Olah
Adjunct Associate Professor
Ed.D., Harvard University

Kristi Pintar
Vice President, Change Leadership and Organizational Development, Christiana Care Health System
Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania

Rosemary Carol Polomano
Associate Dean for Practice, Penn Nursing
Ph.D., University of Maryland

Sharon M. Ravitch
Professor of Practice
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Abby Reisman
Associate Professor
Ph.D., Stanford University

Matthew Riggan
Co-Founder and Executive Director, The Workshop School
 Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Gretchen Schmelzer
Senior Associate, Teleos Leadership Institute
Ph.D., Northeastern University

Judy A. Shea
Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University

Corrie A. Stankiewicz
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
M.D., University of Pennsylvania; M.S.Ed., University of Pennsylvania

Howard C. Stevenson
Constance Clayton Professor of Urban Education
Ph.D., Fuller Graduate School of Psychology

James K. Stoller
Professor and Chairman, Education Institute, Cleveland Clinic
M.D., Yale University

Greg Urban
Arthur Hobson Quinn Professor of Anthropology, Penn Arts & Sciences
Ph.D., University of Chicago

Michael Yudell
Professor, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University
Ph.D./M.P.H., Columbia University

Program Directors & Staff

Kandi Wiens, M.B.A., Ed.D.
Co-Director

Donald Boyer, M.D., M.S.Ed.
Co-Director

Nyssa Levy
Associate Director
nyssa@upenn.edu

Jessica Hall
Administrative Coordinator
hallje@upenn.edu

April Coleman
Administrative Assistant
aprilc@gse.upenn.edu

Sean P. Harbison, MD

"I wanted to make myself the best teacher and clinician I could be."

Sean P. Harbison, MD

Medical Education M.S.Ed., 2018

Our Graduates

The Medical Education master's program is designed for physicians and other healthcare professionals who have, or are interested in pursuing, positions in educational leadership, such as:

  • program directors
  • fellowship directors
  • clerkship directors
  • positions with responsibilities in undergraduate or graduate medical education or faculty development

In addition, the program is tailored to meet the needs of healthcare professionals interested in a specific facet of medical education, such as simulation, research and scholarship, program evaluation, learner assessment, or leading learning efforts in complex systems. Our program strongly emphasizes equipping graduates to serve as leaders and resources within their institutions.

Alumni Careers

  • Associate Professor of Anesthesia, Harvard Medical School
  • Vice Chief of Medical Oncology, Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA)
  • Chief Resident in Family Medicine, University of British Columbia
  • Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • Director, Faculty Resources, Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children
  • Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania
  • Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina
  • Pediatric Cardiologist, A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children
  • Professor of Nutrition/Associate Dean of Education, University of Pennsylvania
  • Program Director of the Emergency Medicine Residency, SUNY Downstate/Kings County Hospital
  • Residency Program Director, University of Pennsylvania

Admissions & Financial Aid

Please visit our Admissions and Financial Aid pages for specific information on the application requirements, as well as information on tuition, fees, financial aid, scholarships, and fellowships.

Contact Information

Contact us if you have any questions about the program.

Office of Admissions and
Financial Aid

Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania
3700 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 898-6415
admissions@gse.upenn.edu
finaid@gse.upenn.edu

Program Contact

Nyssa Levy
Associate Director
(215) 573-0591
meded@gse.upenn.edu

Please view information from our Admissions and Financial Aid Office for specific information on the cost of this program.

Most students in this program fund their degree through a combination of personal resources, employer benefits, and student loans.

A Unique Synergy

The Medical Education master’s program offers a unique synergy between the educational and academic medical realms. The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have come together to provide program participants access to educational expertise centered in the medical context. 

Penn GSE

The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education is one of three Ivy League graduate schools of education and is a national leader in education research and the preparation of skilled education professionals.

Perelman School of Medicine

The University of Pennsylvania is the oldest and one of the finest medical schools in the United States. Penn is rich in tradition and heritage and at the same time consistently at the forefront of new developments and innovations in medical education and research. 

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Since its start in 1855 as the nation's first hospital devoted exclusively to caring for children, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has been the birthplace for many dramatic firsts in pediatric medicine.