Implementation of an education‐focused PhD program in anatomy and cell biology at Indiana University: Lessons learned and future challenges

Abstract

In 2008, the Indiana University School of Medicine, in collaboration with the School of Education, admitted its first student to a newly approved PhD program in Anatomy and Cell Biology focusing on educational research rather than biomedical research. The goal of the program is twofold: (1) to provide students with extensive training in all of the anatomical disciplines coupled with sufficient teaching experience to assume major educational responsibilities upon graduation and (2) Going forward, we must adapt the program's biomedical course requirements to incorporate the new integrated curriculum of the medical school, and we must secure additional funding to support more students. Overcoming these challenges will enable us to continue producing a small but stable supply of doctoral-level anatomy educators for a growing academic market.

Assessing the impact of the Graduate Certificate in Anatomical Sciences Instruction: A post‐degree survey

“…Thus there is a real need for the scholarship of teaching and learning as a way for creating and assessing new ideas in the classroom. Anatomists agree that additional training in best practices in educational theory and teaching methods is a needed component in graduate training (Rizzolo and Drake, ; Brokaw and O'Loughlin, ). In the Rizzolo and Drake study () of 75 participants from 56 institutions, workshop and roundtable discussions with a variety of educators from backgrounds in medicine, dentistry, osteopathy, veterinary, and undergraduate training identified training in pedagogy as a major component missing from graduate training programs.…”

“…As classically trained anatomy professors retire, there is a lack of qualified younger faculty to replace them. Many doctoral (Albertine, ; Brokaw and O'Loughlin, ) and postdoctoral (Fraher and Evans, ; Bader et al, ) programs have recognized the need to create training opportunities for teaching the anatomical sciences to ensure their graduates have marketable teaching skills as well as research prowess. These graduate and postgraduate training opportunities take multiple forms, including the format of a PhD curriculum, a graduate certificate, workshop or mini‐course (Stringer and Lyall, ).…”

“…In addition, the Utah program provides training in scientific writing, educational research theory and ethics, and institutional review board protocols, and requires students to apply these skills in their own educational research project (Albertine, ). Indiana University School of Medicine developed a 90‐credit hour doctoral program preparing graduate students with comprehensive training in both the anatomical sciences and in teaching such that they are prepared for educational leadership roles after they have graduated (Brokaw and O'Loughlin, ). In addition, this program also incorporates rigorous training in medical educational research and scholarship so that its graduates are prepared for the research component of a new faculty position (Brokaw and O'Loughlin, ).…”

In Pursuit of Excellence Reconsidered: Expertise and Expert Performance in the Teaching, Learning, and Application of Anatomy

“…The profession of anatomy is starting to see trends toward establishing a set of standards that would govern how individuals reach, establish, and maintain expertise in anatomical content, pedagogy, and education research. More emphasis is directed toward training of future anatomists in education‐focused programs where students conduct rigorous evidence‐based education research (Brokaw and O’Loughlin, ) and by engaging present anatomists in the scholarship of teaching and learning (O’Loughlin et al, ). In fact, there is mounting interest and evidence of professional societies commitment in supporting this effort e.g., American Association of Anatomists (AAA), American Association of Clinical Anatomists (AACA), Anatomical Society (AS) in UK, International Federative Association of Anatomists (IFAA) to enable both early and established career members to participate in formal learning sessions and to further develop expertise through collaborative training programs, postgraduate courses, and funded visiting professorships (Fraher and Evans, ; O’Loughlin et al, ).…”

What Does a Modern Anatomist Look like? Current Trends in the Training of Anatomy Educators

“…Interestingly, this shortage coincides with a rise in the use of non-faculty instructors (with diverse backgrounds, qualifications, and teaching experiences) to fill teaching roles in higher education (Halcomb et al, 2010;Caruth and Caruth, 2014;Rhodes et al, 2018). In an attempt to reduce shortages in anatomy educators specifically, new Ph.D., postdoctoral, and continuing education training programs focused on anatomy education have begun to surface (Albertine, 2008;Fraher and Evans, 2009;Bader et al, 2010;Brokaw and O'Loughlin, 2015;Doss and Brooks, 2016).…”