Department of Medical Education

Keith Administration Building 200
1975 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles 90033
(213) 342-2372
(213) 342-2051 (FAX)

Student Advisor: Muriel Wolkow
(213) 342-2372

Faculty

D.E. Heestand, Interim Chair and Associate Professor

Associate Professors: L.A. Evans; R.A. Girard; K.I. Hoffman; J.G. Nyquist; P.A. Wallace

Assistant Professors: K.A. Garman; J. Gates (Family Medicine); N.J. Gilman (Norris Medical Library); M. Wolkow

Clinical Instructors: A.M. Alexander; S. A. Lemme (Family Medicine); H.L. Robbins

Clinical Faculty (Voluntary ): J. L. Buckingham; D. L. Fisher; J. S. Green; A. Marx; H.J. Powell; S. E. Radecki; L. M. Sinopoli

Emeritus Professor: S. Abrahamson, Ph.D.

Established in 1963 as one of the first medical education units in the United States, the USC Department of Medical Education conducts programs for four different categories of students: medical students; graduate students in education; those teaching in medical and other health professional education settings; and physicians in the postgraduate study of medical education.

The department's primary mission is to enhance the quality of undergraduate medical education at the USC School of Medicine. In performing this mission, the department functions as a resource of educational expertise for medical school faculty in planning, developing, and evaluating medical education programs and conducting educational research. Similar activities and programs are conducted with various government and private organizations outside the medical school.

In addition to ongoing faculty development activities, the department offers elective courses for undergraduate medical students as well as graduate and postdoctoral degree programs in medical education. Major research and training interests of the faculty include the instruction of lay persons to be used as standardized patients for teaching and evaluation, problem-based learning, pre-med programs for minority students and interactive video systems.

The USC Health Sciences Campus is the primary site for the research, training and administrative activities of the department. In addition to faculty, the department employs about 10 part-time research assistants and administrative staff.

Graduate Programs

Master of Science in Education
By special arrangement, selected students may participate in the department's graduate study program in medical education, leading to an M.S. Ed. degree. The program is offered in collaboration with the USC School of Education and is directed toward those who teach or plan to teach in medical or other health-professional education settings. The goals of the program include helping students to gain increased understanding of basic principles of teaching and learning and to achieve skills necessary to apply the principles effectively.

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (Ph.D.) Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Doctoral programs with a specialty in medical education are offered in collaboration with the School of Education. For further information, contact the Department of Medical Education.

Health Professions Teachers
From time to time, the department offers special courses, workshops or seminars in various subject areas related to the preparation of teachers and/or the improvement of instruction. Department staff members are available to plan these special programs on request.

Postgraduate Program

Individually tailored programs of study in medical education are available to visiting postdoctoral fellows who wish to gain an understanding of principles, problems and practices in medical education. These visiting fellows may spend from a few weeks to a year in residence, participating in ongoing projects, seminars, readings and independent study.

Next Section

Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995
David Henriquez
univpub@stuaff.usc.edu