MS4 Catalog

Medical Students as Educators (Virtual)

LOCATION: Online
PRECEPTOR: Anna Lama, Ed.D.
DURATION: 4 weeks 
OFFERED: All blocks except 1, 2, 4, 11 and 12 
MAXIMUM ENROLLMENT: 21
STATUS: Elective - WVU students only
NOTES: Students who have completed the MSaE Longitudinal elective are not eligible to take the MSaE online elective. 

OBJECTIVES:

Brief Description: The Medical Students as Educators (MSaE) Online elective is a 4-week online teaching practicum for 4th year medical students (all campuses) interested in teaching and learning in academic medicine. Students in this rotation will complete course work on SOLE, accumulate teaching observation hours, meet in a virtual environment with the director (and other MSaE students), plan and execute a final project related to curriculum development. The aim of this rotation is to equip students with the knowledge to develop basic teaching and assessment skills necessary and useful in any residency discipline. 

Specifically, this rotation is designed to provide structure and guidance to students as they develop the foundation and framework for high-quality teaching. At the conclusion of the elective, student teachers will be ale to do the following:

Medical Knowledge (MK) 

  • Apply foundational knowledge from biomedical, clinical, epidemiological, and social-behavioral sciences to design and deliver a detailed, content-rich lesson plan (MK1-MK8).
  • Gather, organize, and synthesize information relevant to lesson content in order to develop and present an educational session aligned with a defined instructional goal (MK1-MK8)

Problem Based Learning & Instruction (PBL&I)

  • Engage in literature review, classroom observations, journal reflections, and group discussions that support ongoing development as an educator and promote habits of lifelong learning (PBL&I1, PBL&I2)
  • Explore foundational topics in health professions education--such as teaching methods, learning styles, instructional design, and assessment principles--through guided module work and discussion (PBL&I4, PBL&I5).

Professionalism (PROF)

  • Demonstrate professionalism through appropriate attire, punctuality, timely submission of assignments, respectful communication, and responsible participation in all course-related activities (PROF 5).
  • Demonstrate respect, compassion, integrity, and responsiveness in all interactions with interprofessionals, colleagues and peers (PROF5).

Interpersonal & Communication Skills (I&CS)

  • Communicate and collaborate effectively with faculty, peers, and other professionals in various educational settings, including small groups, interprofessional environments, and virtual classrooms. (I&CS4)
  • Design, organize, and deliver a large group teaching presentation, incorporating feedback and reflection into multiple iterations (I&CS4).
  • Prepare and co-facilitate a virtual interprofessional education session as part of a small group teaching experience (I&CS4)

Note: MSaE Online Module Specific Learning Objectives will be provided in the elective syllabus.

Methods to Achieve objectives

Students will be required to meet objectives in the MSaE elective through five (5) tasks over 4-weeks:

  1. Complete weekly learning module readings and assignments in SOLE related to education, teaching and learning, and assessment.
  2. Attend all bi-weekly virtual sessions and deliver one 10-minute teaching presentation using either the 'Chalk Talk' or "Ignite' format. 
  3. Conduct a required number of classroom teaching observations (virtual or in-person) and document insights from the perspective of an educator.
  4. Participate in a virtual teaching field placement by co-facilitating an interprofessional education session (e.g., through Project DOCC or Interdisciplinary Education Apartment Simulation 'IDEAS'), involving approximately 2 hours of teaching and planning, accompanied by a written reflection on the experience. 
  5. Develop and present a capstone project (approximately 1 hour of teaching), accompanied by a written reflection on the experience. 

Note: A weekly schedule of elective readings and assignments with due dates will be provided for pacing.

Examination procedures and evaluation criteria

The MSaE Online elective is a Pass/Fail elective. To receive a passing grade, students must successfully complete all five objectives outlined in the syllabus. Students will receive weekly formative feedback on SOLE module assignments. Classroom teaching observations will be scheduled in coordination with the availability of each student. For summative assessment, the MSaE director (Dr. Lama) will observe each student's final project presentation and complete a standardized teaching rubric. A similar rubric will be completed by the virtual teaching field placement facilitator on the student teacher's participation level. Students are required to submit all elective materials--including reading reflections, observation journal entries, and final lesson plans--for final review. A Pass/Fail grade will be assigned base on the successful completion of all elective components.

A note on other teaching field experience opportunities.

The MSaE Online elective does not require the learner to participate in teaching field placements (e.g., bedside teaching, problem-based learning, small group facilitation). However, a student who has completed and passed the MSaE online elective has the option to co-facilitate a small group of learners within the Health Sciences Center. This is optional. The Small Group Teaching placement will require students to travel to the Morgantown campus to teach on campus. The School of Medicine does not cover the cost of gas for students in any fourth-year rotation. Free housing may be provided based on availability. There will not be exceptions made with regards to modifying in-person teaching to virtual.

Pre-Rotation Instructions: 

The MSaE Elective requires pre-approval commitment through Ms. Christina Politte and Dr. Lama. Any student interested in scheduling this rotation will need to contact Dr. Lama (alama@hsc.wvu.edu) before May 1 of the academic year for more information. Additions to the rotation after June 1 will be based on rotation availability.

The elective director has the right to change elements of the elective syllabus at any time. Students will be notified of such changes with at least 24 hour's notice.