The Medical Education Scholars Program (MESP) is an internationally acclaimed annual program that was established in 1998 by Larry Gruppen, PhD, Professor of Learning Health Sciences and was led for many years by Patricia Mullan, PhD, Professor Emerita of Learning Health Sciences. Over the past two decades, nearly 300 faculty and fellows at the University of Michigan have participated in this CME-granting program. MESP is designed for early career medical school faculty and fellows to develop as leaders in medical education. The current director of MESP is Caren Stalburg, MD, MA, Associate Professor of Learning Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology.
MESP hosts the Department of Learning Health Sciences’ Annual Roland “Red” Hiss Lecture, which in 2023 will take place at the Michigan League on June 6. Please see our dedicated event page for more information about Dr. Hiss and this annual event.
Program Components
MESP Offers a Formal Curriculum of Guided Study
The Tuesday afternoon seminars address topics in educational theory, methods, and research, and presentations are given by University of Michigan faculty and staff with expertise in educational research, clinical teaching skills, and leadership in academic medicine. Sessions are designed to be interactive and are supported by readings and application exercises.
Specific topics covered in the course include:
- Curriculum Design
- Program Evaluation
- Educational Theory and Research Methods
- Clinical Teaching Skills
- Presentation Skills
- Building a Career in Health Professions Education
Individual Project
The cornerstone of MESP is the Individual Project. Each Scholar will identify an issue in education relevant to their interests and will develop and carry out an Individual Project during their time in MESP. This project will provide the Scholar with an opportunity to apply the principles, skills, and methods taught during the program and to develop a scholarly approach to educational research and development. Projects typically include curriculum development, instructional design, or program evaluation. At the end of the program, Scholars will present their research to the University of Michigan community at the Department of Learning Health Sciences' Roland "Red" Hiss Lecture and MESP Research Symposium.
Scholarly Community & Mentorship
Building a community of practice for emerging leaders in medical education is a central goal of MESP. MESP offers a supportive and collegial environment for junior faculty and fellows to build skills in the Program’s target areas and to develop and carry out their Individual Project. Scholars are mentored by MESP Director Caren Stalburg, and each person will have several opportunities to workshop their project and consult subject matter experts as part of the Program.
Application Information
The application period for the 2023-2024 cohort is open!
The 2023-2024 course will take place on Tuesday afternoons from 1:00-4:30pm, and will run from October 10, 2023 until June 4, 2024. The program cost is $3000, and is generally paid by the applicant’s Department or Division from professional development funds.
Admission to the program is competitive, and approximately fifteen Scholars per year will be accepted into MESP. We encourage applications from both faculty and fellows; however, the Program primarily serves faculty development needs and therefore accepts a limited number of fellows.
For the 2023-2024 cohort, applications will be accepted from March 7 through May 2, 2023. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by June 16, 2023. Department Chairs are expected to provide weekly half-day release for the Scholars to attend the Tuesday seminars.
Most of the sessions are virtual; however, all applicants should plan for the possibility of in-person instruction during the Program.
The University of Michigan Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Michigan Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 87.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Please see below to download the application instructions and contact [email protected] with any questions.
Downloads
Program Director
Caren M. Stalburg, MD, MA
Administrative Contact
