Doctor of Philosophy Medical and Health Professions Education (PhD)
MHPE Program Overview
The Medical and Health Professions Education (MHPE) Program offers the Master’s of Medical and Health Professions Education (MMHPE), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and the Doctor of Education (EdD) degrees along with graduate certificates in Scholarship, Teaching, and Simulation Program Management.
Mission
The Medical & Health Professions Education program is dedicated to building an interprofessional learning community of scholars committed to advancing ethical, community-oriented education, research, and service in the health professions. Students who enroll in MHPE programs will engage in transformational learning that connects their experiences, coursework, and knowledge to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the world that informs their teaching, research, and professional practice.
Program Director: Peggy Gesing gesingme@odu.edu
Admission
The Medical and Health Professions Education (MHPE) Doctoral Program evaluates applicants using a variety of items submitted by the applicant. All components of an application are reviewed prior to making an admission decision.
- Application opens October 1. Application deadline is March 15. Applicants will be accepted after March 15 on a rolling basis.
- A master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better prior to matriculation
- For those applying to the Contemporary Human Anatomy Education (CHAE) concentration, the master’s degree must be comprised of a minimum of 30 graduate-level credits and should include Clinical Gross Anatomy, Embryology and Histology at the master’s level.
- One year of teaching experience in medical and health professions/higher education preferred.
- One-page personal essay outlining how the MHPE Doctoral degree will help the applicant reach their professional goals. The Personal Essay should include a brief discussion of the applicant’s educational research interest related to health professions education.
- An original two-page single-spaced academic writing sample providing an introduction and brief review of the literature related to the applicant’s research interest related to health professions education. The writing sample should follow the APA 7 style guide and include five - eight scholarly references.
- Curriculum vitae and/or resume
- Recommendations from two academic references (electronic form provided in GradCAS).
Official transcripts from each college/university attended, including an official transcript from any degree-granting institution that specifies the date upon which the degree was issued. Transcripts must be sent electronically or by mail directly to GradCAS. Any official transcript received by the program or the School of Health Professions Admissions and Enrollment department will not be accepted. If you do not list or send official transcripts for all institutions attended, processing of your application will be delayed.
- Click here to send transcripts electronically
- GradCAS only accepts electronic transcripts from:
- To send transcripts to GradCAS by mail:
- Provide the registrar with the following items:
- GradCAS Transcript Request Form. Ask the registrar to attach it to your official transcripts. This form is not required but strongly recommended as it helps ensure your official transcripts are properly matched to your application.
- If you cannot use this form, make sure the registrar prints “GradCAS” and your full GradCAS ID# on the transcript before mailing it.
- Any school-specific forms required by the registrar.
- Any transcript fees required by the registrar.
- All information needed by the registrar to properly identify you in the school’s database including any name changes.
- Your GradCAS ID#.
- Institutions must send transcripts directly to GradCAS to the following address:
GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
P.O. Box 9217
Watertown, MA 02471
Submit an application to the Doctoral Program in Medical & Health Professions Education program.
Transfer Credits
Requests to transfer graduate credits from another accredited U.S. or Canadian institution are considered on an individual basis after students are admitted to the MHPE Doctoral program. International credits are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
A student may transfer up to 12 graduate credit hours, if all of the following conditions hold:
- Graduate course credits were completed at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution and are reflected on an official transcript
- Transfers can feasibly occur within the five-year matriculation limit of this MHPE program
- Grade earned is a B or better
All requests must be made no later than one full term prior to graduation from the program.
All requests must be made by the end of the first term in the program. Students who wish to request that graduate credits be transferred into the MHPE program must submit a copy of the syllabus for the course to the program director who will consult with teaching faculty as appropriate and render a decision. Approved transfer grades are included on student's transcript; however, transfer grades are not included in semester or cumulative GPA calculations.
Additional Requirements for International Applicants
Requirements for admission include:
- English proficiency exams (may be waived)
- TOEFL Minimum Scores: Paper 550, Computer 213, iBT 80
- IELTS Minimum Scores: Total 6.5, Subscores 6
- A transcript evaluation and translation
- Please refer to Educational Credential Evaluators or World Education Services.
- Applicants must supply a course-by-course evaluation and an overall GPA calculation
- GradCAS will ONLY accept the evaluation report from the credentialing agency. Do not send your foreign transcript to GradCAS.
- All other foreign transcript evaluations from the credentialing agency must be sent directly to GradCAS to the following address:
GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
P.O. Box 9217
Watertown, MA 02471
TOEFL School Code is B886
Technical Standards
The essential abilities and skills that candidates and students must possess in order to complete the education and training associated with this program are referred to as Technical Standards.
1.0 Observation Skills Technical Standard
1.01 Demonstrate sufficient attention and accuracy in observation skills (visual, auditory and tactile) in the lecture hall, in clinical and educational settings and online. Indicators include but are not limited to accurate visualization and discrimination of text, numbers, patterns, graphic illustrations and other imaging texts.
2.0 Communication Skills Technical Standard
2.01 Demonstrate effective communication skills with professionals of varying cultures, ethnicities and personalities.
2.02 Indicators include, but are not limited to, these examples:
- Clear, efficient and intelligible articulation of spoken English language.
- Legible, efficient and intelligible written English language.
- Accurate and efficient English language reading skills.
- Accurate and efficient, expressive and receptive communication skills.
- Ability to accurately follow directions (oral and written).
3.0 Critical Reasoning Skills Technical Standard
3.01 Demonstrate critical reasoning skills, including but not limited to intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities.
3.02 Indicators include but are not limited to these examples:
- Demonstrate ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, integrate and synthesize information.
- Demonstrate ability to acquire, retain and apply new and learned information.
4.0 Motor and Sensory Function Technical Standard
4.01 Demonstrate sufficient motor and sensory function.
4.02 Indicators include but are not limited to these examples:
- Execute motor movements that demonstrate safety and efficiency in the various learning settings (i.e., classroom, online).
- Physical stamina sufficient to complete online didactic study, which will include prolonged periods of sitting.
5.0 Behavioral and Social Attributes Technical Standard
5.01 Demonstrate the behavioral and social attributes vital to participation in a graduate-level academic program.
5.02 Indicators include but are not limited to these examples:
- Possess the emotional health required for full utilization of mental faculties (judgment, orientation, affect and cognition).
- Ability to develop mature and effective professional relationships with faculty and other members of the educational and healthcare team.
- Possess personal qualities that facilitate effective therapeutic interactions (compassion, empathy, integrity, honesty, benevolence, confidentiality).
- Demonstrate impartial motives, attitudes and values in roles, functions and relationships.
- Ability to monitor and react appropriately to one’s own emotional needs and responses.
- Display appropriate flexibility and adaptability in the face of stress or uncertainty in teaching and learning environments.
- Compliance with standards, policies and practices set forth in the program handbook.
Curriculum
The 48-credit hour distance learning program is designed to be completed in 3.5 - 4.5 years: Seven (12-16 week) terms of coursework with 6 - 7 credit hours per term and one year for research and dissertation completion.
The curriculum for the MHPE Doctoral Program has been constructed with the input from the course and program directors. The curriculum is designed to prepare educational leaders in various medical and health professions’ organizational settings. The PhD is a research-based terminal degree that allows individuals to work in academia or research at the university level.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Teaching and Learning Core Courses | ||
| MHPE 720 | Exploring Paradigms in Higher Education | 3 |
| MHPE 808 | Contexts of Teaching and Learning | 3 |
| MHPE 809 | Designing Educational Exp | 3 |
| MHPE 869 | Practicum | 3 |
| 2. Research Core Courses | ||
| MHPE 702 | Program Evaluation | 3 |
| MHPE 705 | Applied Statistics | 3 |
| MHPE 715 | Educational Scholarship Method | 3 |
| MHPE 806 | Mixed Method Research Design | 3 |
| MHPE 807 | Advanced Research Methods | 3 |
| 3. Dissertation Courses | ||
| MHPE 804 | Ed Scholar Seminar * | 3 |
| MHPE 830 | Candidacy Seminar | 3 |
| MHPE 900 | Research ** | 6 |
| 4. Concentration Courses (Please select one concentration.) | 9 | |
| Contemporary Human Anatomy Education Concentration Courses | ||
| Stewards of Anatomy Education | ||
| Anatomy Education Foundations | ||
| Teaching & Tech for Anatomy | ||
| Higher Education Concentration Courses | ||
| Community Partnerships in HPE | ||
| Org & Management | ||
| Current Issues in HIED | ||
| Simulation Education Concentration Courses | ||
| Simulation in Healthcare | ||
| Business of Simulation | ||
| Org & Management | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 48 | |
- *
You must repeat MHPE 804 three times for a total of 3 credits.
- **
After completing the 6 credits of MHPE 900, you may register for MHPE 905 for additional dissertation credits if needed.