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The Academy of Master Medical Educators at CMSRU
The Academy of Master Medical Educators at CMSRU (will henceforth be referred to as “Academy”) is a
guild established to advance the education of physicians and scientists interested in Medical Education
at Cooper Medical School by:
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Creating and supporting a community of leaders in education
Nurturing a culture of excellence in teaching and learning at CMSRU
Fostering the careers of clinical and biomedical sciences educators
Providing professional development to improve the skills of medical educators
Invigorating the implementation of innovative approaches to teaching and assessment
Supporting educational research and scholarship
Encouraging a lifelong learning culture in biomedical sciences at CMSRU
Benefits of Membership
Becoming a member of the Academy is evidence of your commitment to being a “Master Medical
Educator”, a term that implies not only a pledge to grow and improve in your own teaching, but a desire
to work with others within the community and to achieve excellence in medical education. As a
member of the Academy, you will have opportunities for collaboration and scholarship; you will be able
to participate more fully in professional development activities; you will have greater access to personal
mentoring; and you will be able to share educational experiences within the local, national and
international community. The Academy and its members also may initiate or promote curricular and
faculty development, new educational programs and innovative methods of teaching and assessment.
Because of the rigor of the selection process, Academy membership is a sign of outstanding
performance and provides support for academic advancement.
Mission, Purpose and Goals
Mission Statement
The mission of the Academy is to enhance education throughout CMSRU. The Academy and its members
may initiate or promote curricular and faculty development, new educational programs, individual or
collaborative educational research, scholarship and innovative methods of teaching.
Vision
The academy will be comprised of CMSRU faculty members who set the highest standards of academic
excellence and have a true gift for teaching—whether in the classroom, the research laboratory, or in a
patient care setting—and scholarship. In accordance with CMSRU, the Academy will distinguish itself as
a leader in innovative medical education.
Purpose
The purpose of the academy is to recognize and promote excellence in CMSRU’s educational mission
and to contribute to educational scholarship, research and innovation. Excellence may be demonstrated
in any instructional setting including classroom instruction, hospital or clinic teaching, laboratory
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instruction, research mentoring and training, continuing education, community-based instructional
settings or in electronically-mediated teaching and scholarship.
The goals of the Academy are to:
1. Facilitate and support the improvement of educational effectiveness and innovation;
2. Conduct scholarly activity in support of CMSRU’s educational programming, which may be provided
to other health professions educators;
3. Organize and conduct programs for individual or groups of faculty to improve education at every
level.
4. Provide mentorship to other educators.
Nomination Process
Each year, the Academy publishes a general call to faculty requesting a formal letter of intent to apply
for membership. Educators must first submit a letter of intent and a current CV to the Academy by the
specified deadline. Following initial review by the Academy Selection Committee, individual faculty may
be invited to apply for membership.
The following must be received before the candidate can be invited by the Academy Membership
Committee to submit a complete application package:
1. The candidate must submit an initial letter that includes a clear statement of reasons for interest in
the Academy and Teaching Philosophy.
2. The candidate must submit a list of all current direct teaching activities for one of more of the
following groups: Medical students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, residents, clinical
fellows, or faculty.
3. The candidate must submit a nomination letter by the candidate’s chairperson, division head, or a
senior member of the Academy with specific reference to the candidate’s educational and scholarly
accomplishments.
4. The candidate must also submit a complete and current CV.
5. Candidate must have had a full faculty appointment (no Adjunct or Emeritus faculty) at CMSRU for a
minimum of 2 years.
Application Process
1. Application package includes:
i.
Two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a peer at the same, or higher, rank than
the candidate
ii. Educator Portfolio (this is the same as the Teaching Portfolio that is used for the Promotion process;
the Teaching Portfolio is described on the following pages)
iii. Supporting documents indicating evidence of educational excellence
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Template for a Teaching Portfolio
Part ONE: Data Relevant to Teaching Activities
List and describe teaching-related activities in as complete a context as possible, i.e., the names of
courses or presentations, the level of involvement or frequency, the number and types of students, the
teaching materials that may have been produced, or the role of the faculty member in other teachingrelated activities (supervisor, advisor, mentor).
1. Teaching Activities (including quantity of contribution)
a. Undergraduate
b. Graduate
c. Residents and Fellows
d. Peers (mentoring)
2. Curriculum Development (list tangible educational materials created, e.g., case
development, lecture, assessment tools, OSCE, web materials, simulation materials, etc.)
a. Courses
b. Clerkships
c. Residency Program
d. Fellowship Programs
e. Education and teaching innovations
f. CME
g. Outreach
3. Mentoring/Advising and Outcomes of Such Efforts
Part TWO: Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness
A brief description of objective measures of teaching effectiveness. The primary element of this category
is a review of teaching effectiveness including a summary of the relevant, objective documentation. The
information to be summarized may include representative portions of teaching evaluations, testimonials
by students, peer reviews, and special contributions. Items that may be summarized in this section
include:
1. Course Materials
2. Student and Resident Evaluations
3. Peer Review
4. Professional Recognition/Teaching Awards
5. Learner Outcomes
6. Educational Scholarship and Scholarly Activities
Part THREE: Recognition Outside of CMSRU
Include information concerning any additional teaching or educational activities that are especially
noteworthy, creative, innovative, peer-reviewed, or indicative of recognition outside of the
institution (e.g., publications, contributions to scholarly teaching societies, teaching awards and
recognitions, invited lectures concerning teaching and education).
Part FOUR: Educational Leadership (e.g., Course or Clerkship Director, leadership of
academic societies, service on editorial boards, etc.)
Part FIVE: Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
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Note: The Teaching Portfolio must be reviewed and signed off by the faculty member’s Division Head or
Department Chair.
Domains in which members of the Academy of Master Medical Educators will be judged:
1. Teaching Activities
2. Curriculum Development
a. Involved in the development of course content, clerkships, and residency programs. Be
involved in the development of learning objectives, and assessments tools as well as
coordination of courses across the curriculum.
3. Advising and Mentoring
4. Educational Leadership and Administration
a. Leadership positions may relate to medical or graduate student education, as well as
postgraduate training of residents and fellows at CMSRU affiliated hospitals. Examples are
Course or Clerkship directors, society advisors or graduate program directors.
5. Education Research and Scholarship
Selection Process:
A Selection Committee will review the candidate’s application. After the review process, the Committee
members will send a recommendation to the Vice Dean.
Ranks of Academy Members – membership candidates must demonstrate excellence in the respective
domains for the rank desired:
1. Teaching Fellow – Achievement in 1 Domain; this Domain shall be #1 - Teaching Excellence
2. Master Educator – Achievement in a total of 3 Domains; these Domains must include #1 –
Teaching Excellence, #3 – Advising and Mentoring, and one other.
3. Distinguished Teaching Scholar – Achievement in a total of 4 Domains; these Domains must
include #1 – Teaching Excellence, #3 – Advising and Mentoring, #5 – Education Research and
Scholarship, and one other.
After a faculty member becomes a Distinguished Teaching Scholar, there will be two categories—Active
(for faculty still working at CMSRU) and Affiliate or Emeritus (for faculty who have retired).
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