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BACKGROUND: Traditional medical education often lacks contextual experience, hindering students' ability to effectively apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios. The integration of the metaverse into medical education holds great enormous promise for addressing educational disparities, particularly in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) accompanied by rapid technological advancements. This commentary paper aimed to address the potential of the metaverse in enhancing basic sciences education within the constraints faced by universities in LMICs. We also addressed learning design challenges by proposing fundamental design elements and a suggested conceptual framework for developing metaverse-based teaching methods.The goal is to assist educators and medical practitioners in comprehensivley understanding key factors in immersive teaching and learning. DISCUSSION: By immersing medical students in virtual scenarios mimicking real medical settings and patient interactions, the metaverse enables practice in clinical decision-making, interpersonal skills, and exposure to complex medical situations in a controlled environment. These simulations can be customized to reflect local healthcare challenges, preparing medical students to tackle specific community needs. Various disciplines, including anatomy, physiology, pharmacy, dentistry, and pathology, have begun leveraging the metaverse to offer immersive learning experiences, foster interdisciplinary collaborations, and facilitate authentic assessments. However, financial constraints pose a significant barrier to widespread adoption, particularly in resource-limited settings like LMICs. Addressing these challenges is crucial to realizing the full potential of metaverse technology in medical education. CONCLUSION: The metaverse offers a promising solution for enhancing medical education by providing immersive, context-rich learning experiences. This paper proposes a conceptual framework and fundamental design elements to aid faculty educators and medical practitioners in effectively incorporating metaverse technology into their teaching methods, thus improving educational outcomes in LMICs.

The metaverse offers a transformative pathway for basic sciences medical education in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) through leveraging 3D human replicas, virtual dissection, laboratories, and simulations.A metaverse-based learning design may easily combine a variety of learning theories, instructional design models, and/or conceptual frameworks, including constructivism, the ADDIE model, universal design, and minimalism.Unlocking the full potential of VR and AR in basic sciences medical education for LMIC universities requires collaborative synergy among educators, policymakers, and technology developers, with a crucial emphasis on equitable access and resource allocation.Despite the immense promise held by metaverse-powered education, it is crucial to address issues surrounding technology accessibility, learning design challenges, and implementation barriers in LMICs as we provide guidance to educators and practitioners worldwide.

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The World Wide Web and the advancement of computer technology in the 1960s and 1990s respectively set the ground for a substantial and simultaneous change in many facets of our life, including medicine, health care, and medical education. The traditional didactic approach has shifted towards more dynamic and interactive methods, leveraging technologies such as simulation tools, virtual reality, and online platforms. At the forefront is the remarkable evolution that has revolutionized how medical knowledge is accessed, disseminated, and integrated into pedagogical practices. The COVID-19 pandemic also led to rapid and large-scale adoption of e-learning and digital resources in medical education because of widespread lockdowns, social distancing measures, and the closure of medical schools and healthcare training programs. This review paper examines the evolution of medical education from the Flexnerian era to the modern digital age, closely examining the influence of the evolving WWW and its shift from Education 1.0 to Education 4.0. This evolution has been further accentuated by the transition from the static landscapes of Web 2D to the immersive realms of Web 3D, especially considering the growing notion of the metaverse. The application of the metaverse is an interconnected, virtual shared space that includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) to create a fertile ground for simulation-based training, collaborative learning, and experiential skill acquisition for competency development. This review includes the multifaceted applications of the metaverse in medical education, outlining both its benefits and challenges. Through insightful case studies and examples, it highlights the innovative potential of the metaverse as a platform for immersive learning experiences. Moreover, the review addresses the role of emerging technologies in shaping the post-pandemic future of medical education, ultimately culminating in a series of recommendations tailored for medical institutions aiming to successfully capitalize on revolutionary changes.

The evolution of medical education from the Flexnerian era to the digital age provides valuable insight into how medical education has evolved and adapted to changing social needs, technological advancements, and educational paradigm shifts (Education 1.0, Education 2.0, Education 3.0, Education 4.0).The transition from static web to metaverse applications (Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality) has brought about transformative changes in medical education merging physical and virtual reality, where users interact in real-time to have immersive and interactive learning experiences.Metaverse platforms enable external collaboration among medical learners, faculty educators, and other healthcare professionals from various parts of the world without the limitations of physical distance allowing them to exchange insights, discuss cases, and learn from diverse perspectives, including opportunities for collaborative research.Developing strategic implementation plans can help ensure that institutions and faculty educators can harness the benefits of emerging technologies while proactively addressing potential challenges, ensuring a well-rounded and effective learning experience for future medical professionals.

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Surveys in neonatal perinatal medicine are practical instruments for gathering information about medical practices, and outcomes related to the care of newborns and infants. This includes research for identifying needs, assessing requirements, analyzing the effects of change, creating policies, and developing curriculum initiatives. Surveys also provide useful data for enhancing the provision of healthcare services, assessing medical specialties, and evaluating training programs. However, creating a high-quality survey can be difficult for many practitioners, particularly when deciding how to formulate the right questions, whether to utilize various types of questions and how best to arrange or format the survey tool for effective responses. Problems with design principles have been evident in many surveys submitted for dissemination to the members of the Section of Neonatal Perinatal Medicine (SoNPM). To prevent potential measurement errors and increase the quality of surveys, it is crucial to follow a systematic approach in developing surveys by adhering to the principles of effective survey design. This review article provides a brief summary of survey use within the SoNPM, and offers guidance for creating high-quality surveys, including identifying important factors to consider in survey development and characteristics of well-written and effective questions. We briefly note techniques that optimize survey design for distribution through digital media.

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Introduction The Chief Resident (CR) selection process is described by many residency programs as a collective effort from the residency program leadership, key faculty members, and resident peers. Unfortunately, the literature does not show any established guidelines, methods, or psychometric sound instruments to aid this process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the properties of the newly developed CRs selection survey across two years using the Multi-Facet Rasch Model (MFRM). Methods This study used the MFRM to analyze two-year data from the newly developed CRs selection survey. After the first implementation of the tool in 2015, this instrument had its second-round evaluation process for the CRs selection in 2016. We applied a three-facet Rasch model (candidates, questions, and raters). We used Facets v. 3.66 and SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) for data analysis. Results In 2015, 40 out of100 residents completed the survey to select three of the four candidates for the 2017-2018 CRs positions. The mean rating for each candidate showed that Candidate 1 received the highest rating of 5.56 while Candidates 2 and 4 received the exact same ratings. The majority of survey items performed very well based on the results from the MFRM while leaving room for improvement for a few items. In 2016, 55 out of 100 residents completed the revised survey to select three of the six candidates for the 2018-2019 CR positions. The mean rating showed that Candidate 3 received the highest mean rating of 5.81 while Candidate 2 received the lowest mean rating of 5.12. The item reliability was improved from 0.70 to 0.88 based on the results from the revised survey. The results were used to help inform decisions regarding the selection of chief residents. Conclusions The CR selection process requires a fair and collective effort from program leadership, relevant faculty members, and input from the resident group. Our study demonstrated that the survey tool we developed is appropriate to select CR candidates and MFRM is a promising technique in survey development and the evaluation of survey items.

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Introduction Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's (ACGME's) Milestones assessment requirement has placed new demands on Program Directors (PDs), especially those with limited knowledge of assessment and evaluation activities. There is a lack of clarity on how Program Director (PDs)/Associate PDs (APDs) are effectively implementing milestones assessment and evaluation practices in the Graduate Medical Education programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate current assessment practices, needs, and challenges of PDs in implementing milestones assessment within their residency and fellowship programs in a pediatric hospital setting. Methods This study used a collective case study approach to obtain information from PDs, APDs, and Clinical Competency Committee (CCC) Chairs in 19 graduate programs at a pediatric hospital. We used structured meetings with planned agendas and a pre-formatted template to itemize program needs/difficulties/challenges in the milestone assessment. We used cross-case thematic content anal-ysis to identify categories and themes to compare differences and commonalities across programs. Results A total of 38 PDs, APDs, and CCC Chairs from 19 different specialties/subspe-cialties participated in this study. Thirteen types of assessment and evaluation tools were consistently used across programs. Three categories emerged in relation to those assessment and evaluation types (direct, indirect, and multi-source). Rotation evaluation (84.2%), direct observation (73.2%), and 360-degree assessment (68.4%) were primarily used for measuring patient care among the six core competencies. Programs' needs varied from curriculum and assessment tool development to alignment of milestones items, and to creating a sys-tematic assessment management plan. The most common challenges were difficulties related to logistics and tracking of evaluation in the survey management system (52.6%), challenges with time management (47.3%), and difficulty in determining and interpret-ing the milestones' numbers and levels (31.5%). Conclusions Milestones assessment and evaluation in medical education can be a challenge, but a priority for many training programs. Our study indicated that milestones assessment and evaluation in medical education are far more com-plex than we expect. Multiple assessment methods must be utilized to evaluate all essential competencies for accurate measurement of trainees' performance abilities. Our study uncovered several issues PDs faced during the implementation of milestones assessment and needs and challenges.

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The US orthopaedic graduate medical education system is based on long established methods in education, but academic leaders at orthopaedic institutions now have the ability to use electronic learning innovations. Hospital for Special Surgery gathered graduate medical education leaders from orthopaedic training programs around the country and an electronic learning expert to review current orthopaedic residency and fellowship program practices. This group came to consensus with the following points: (1) current training methods do not take full advantage of available technology/innovations, (2) trainees inappropriately use electronic resources in the absence of or in an underdeveloped formal electronic training program, (3) trainees learn at different rates and in different ways requiring individualized plans for optimal content engagement, and (4) formal electronic learning programs better use time dedicated to educating trainees than informal programs. Orthopaedic graduate medical training programs that adopt these points can establish an electronic learning program to complement their traditional education program by (1) guaranteeing online content is standardized and approved, (2) reducing time spent covering standard lecture material and increasing time spent reviewing cases, and (3) engaging students of all learning backgrounds with content in both asynchronous and synchronous formats.

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INTRODUCTION: Immunization education for physicians-in-training is crucial to address vaccine concerns in clinical practice. Vaccine education is not standardized across residency programs. The Collaboration for Vaccination Education and Research (CoVER) team developed an online curriculum for pediatric (Peds) and family medicine (FM) residents. METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) was performed during the 2017-2018 academic year to evaluate the CoVER curriculum. A convenience sample of residency institutions were randomly allocated to the intervention or control group, with stratification by residency type. The intervention, the CoVER curriculum, consisted of four online modules and an in-person training guide. Control sites continued with their standard vaccine education. Pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys were emailed to residents in both groups. The primary outcomes compared between groups were changes in "vaccine knowledge," "vaccine attitudes/hesitancy," and "self-confidence" in immunization communication. The team assessing outcomes was unblinded to assignments. Hierarchical general linear model was used to adjust for residency type and residency year; residency site was modeled as a random effect. RESULTS: Overall, 1444 residents from 31 residency programs were eligible to participate (734 intervention, 710 control). The pre-intervention response rate was 730 (51%) and post-intervention was 526 (36%). Average knowledge scores increased from pre-intervention (control 53%; CoVER 53%) to post-intervention (control 58%; CoVER 60%). Increases in vaccine knowledge among FM residents were greater for CoVER compared to controls (p = 0.041). Vaccine hesitancy was more common among FM (23%) than Peds (10%) residents. In all three residency years, residents in the CoVER group showed greater increases in self-confidence in ability to discuss vaccines with parents/patients (p < 0.03) compared to control group. CONCLUSION: The CoVER curriculum is an effective model to standardize immunization education of physicians-in-training. This RCT demonstrated the effectiveness of the CoVER curriculum to improve resident confidence in their ability to discuss vaccines with parents and patients.

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This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Vaccine education for pediatric and family medicine residents is inadequate. Implementation of evidence-based instructional design methods for medical education is understudied. We conducted four focus groups with residents who had completed a novel immunization curriculum to explore their satisfaction with design, content and impact on confidence. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Overall satisfaction with the curriculum was high. Residents valued the interactive design and content, reported improvement in confidence in discussing vaccines with parents, and shared recommendations for future iterations of the modules. Technical challenges were reported with the learning management system. Medical education modules developed using best practices in instructional design were well-liked by trainees and future modules should be developed using these principles.

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CONTEXT: The value of reflective practices has gained momentum in osteopathic medical education. However, the use of reflective pedagogies has not been explored in the larger context of medical course delivery and design, to the authors' knowledge. OBJECTIVE: To determine the types of reflection demonstrated by osteopathic medical students on an online discussion board and to explore differences in discussion engagement caused by the use of a reflective learning self-assessment tool. METHODS: Using a mixed-method approach, reflection processes in an osteopathic surgery clinical clerkship online module were investigated in third-year osteopathic medical students. Discussion board messages were captured and coded. Both manual coding techniques and automated interrogation using NVivo9 (a computer program) for qualitative data were applied. Correlations of scores across 4 case-based discussion tasks and scores for self-reflection were computed as quantitative data. RESULTS: Twenty-eight students were included. Four main types of reflection (ie, content, contextual, dialogic, and personal) along with corresponding differentiated subthemes for each type of case-based discussion board group message were identified. Group collaboration revealed insights about the reflection process itself and also about the evidence of collective efforts, group engagements, and intragroup support among students. Student preparation revealed that students' metacognition was triggered when they judged their own contributions to group work. Challenges in completing readings and meeting deadlines were related to the students' long work hours. CONCLUSION: Reflective practices are essential to the practice of osteopathic medicine and medical education. Curricula can promote the development of reflective skills by integrating these deliberate practices in educational activities.

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BACKGROUND: The Pediatric Nutrition Series (PNS) consists of ten online, interactive modules and supplementary educational materials that have utilized web-based multimedia technologies to offer nutrition education for pediatric trainees and practicing physicians. The purpose of the study was to evaluate pediatric trainees' engagement, knowledge acquisition, and satisfaction with nutrition modules delivered online in interactive and non-interactive formats. METHODS: From December 2010 through August 2011, pediatric trainees from seventy-three (73) different U.S. programs completed online nutrition modules designed to develop residents' knowledge of counseling around and management of nutritional issues in children. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in comparing interactive versus non-interactive modules. Pretest/posttest and module evaluations measured knowledge acquisition and satisfaction. RESULTS: Three hundred and twenty-two (322) pediatric trainees completed one or more of six modules for a total of four hundred and forty-two (442) accessions. All trainees who completed at least one module were included in the study. Two-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures (pre/posttest by interactive/non-interactive format) indicated significant knowledge gains from pretest to posttest (p < 0.002 for all six modules). Comparisons between interactive and non-interactive formats for Module 1 (N = 85 interactive, N = 95 non-interactive) and Module 5 (N = 5 interactive, N = 16 non-interactive) indicated a parallel improvement from the pretest to posttest, with the interactive format significantly higher than the non-interactive modules (p < .05). Both qualitative and quantitative data from module evaluations demonstrated that satisfaction with modules was high. However, there were lower ratings for whether learning objectives were met with Module 6 (p < 0.03) and lecturer rating (p < 0.004) compared to Module 1. Qualitative data also showed that completion of the interactive modules resulted in higher resident satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: This initial assessment of the PNS modules shows that technology-mediated delivery of a nutrition curriculum in residency programs has great potential for providing rich learning environments for trainees while maintaining a high level of participant satisfaction.

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e-Learning has become a popular medium for delivering instruction in medical education. This innovative method of teaching offers unique learning opportunities for medical trainees. The purpose of this article is to define the present state of e-learning in pediatrics and how to best leverage e-learning for educational effectiveness and change in medical education. Through addressing under-examined and neglected areas in implementation strategies for e-learning, its usefulness in medical education can be expanded. This study used a systematic database review of published studies in the field of e-learning in pediatric training between 2003 and 2013. The search was conducted using educational and health databases: Scopus, ERIC, PubMed, and search engines Google and Hakia. A total of 72 reference articles were suitable for analysis. This review is supplemented by the use of "e-Learning Design Screening Questions" to define e-learning design and development in 10 randomly selected articles. Data analysis used template-based coding themes and counting of the categories using descriptive statistics.Our search for pediatric e-learning (using Google and Hakia) resulted in six well-defined resources designed to support the professional development of doctors, residents, and medical students. The majority of studies focused on instructional effectiveness and satisfaction. There were few studies about e-learning development, implementation, and needs assessments used to identify the institutional and learners' needs. Reviewed studies used various study designs, measurement tools, instructional time, and materials for e-learning interventions. e-Learning is a viable solution for medical educators faced with many challenges, including (1) promoting self-directed learning, (2) providing flexible learning opportunities that would offer continuous (24h/day/7 days a week) availability for learners, and (3) engaging learners through collaborative learning communities to gain significant learning and augment continuous professional development. Several important recommendations for faculty instructors interested in providing and/or improving e-learning activities for today's learners are detailed.

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OBJECTIVE: The University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine has a need to expand the current Residents-as-Teachers workshops into a comprehensive curriculum. One way to do so is to implement an online curriculum, but prior to this, the readiness of the medical residents to participate in such a curriculum should be assessed. Our objective was to determine whether the residents at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine are prepared to engage in an online Residents-as-Teachers program. METHODS: This was a descriptive, mixed-method-design study that collected qualitative and quantitative data using an online survey and a focus-group interview. The study was conducted with students from 11 of the residency programs at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. RESULTS: More than 80% of the participating residents had the technical knowledge to engage in an online program; 90.5% thought an online Residents-as-Teachers course would be a good alternative to what was currently available; 87.5% would be willing to participate in an online program, and 68.6% of the residents stated that they preferred an online course to a traditional one. CONCLUSION: Determinants of readiness for online learning at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine were identified and discussed. Our results suggest that the majority of the residents who participated in this study are ready to engage in an online Residents-as-Teachers program. The only potential barrier found was that one-third of the residents still preferred a traditional curriculum, even when they thought an online Residents-as-Teachers curriculum was a good alternative and were willing to participate in the course or courses forming part of such a curriculum. Therefore, prior to wide-spread implementation of such a curriculum, a pilot test should be conducted to maximize the presumed and eventual success of that curriculum.

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OBJECTIVE: As the next step in competency-based medical education, the Pediatrics Milestone Project seeks to provide a learner-centered approach to training and assessment. To help accomplish this goal, this study sought to determine how pediatric residents understand, interpret, and respond to the Pediatrics Milestones. METHODS: Cognitive interviews with 48 pediatric residents from all training levels at 2 training programs were conducted. Each participant reviewed one Pediatrics Milestone document (PMD). Eight total Pediatrics Milestones, chosen for their range of complexity, length, competency domain, and primary author, were included in this study. Six residents, 2 from each year of residency training, reviewed each PMD. Interviews were transcribed and coded using inductive methods, and codes were grouped into themes that emerged. RESULTS: Four major themes emerged through coding and analysis: 1) the participants' degree of understanding of the PMDs is sufficient, often deep; 2) the etiology of participants' understanding is rooted in their experiences; 3) there are qualities of the PMD that may contribute to or detract from understanding; and 4) participants apply their understanding by noting the PMD describes a developmental progression that can provide a road map for learning. Additionally, we learned that residents are generally comfortable being placed in the middle of a series of developmental milestones. Two minor themes focusing on interest and practicality were also identified. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides initial evidence for the Pediatrics Milestones as learner-centered documents that can be used for orientation, education, formative feedback, and, ultimately, assessment.

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OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of an interactive Web-based module on knowledge acquisition, retention, and clinical practice by residents. METHODS: Residents were randomized to complete an interactive Web-based module on injury prevention or a noninteractive Web-based module of identical content. Acquisition and retention of medical knowledge were measured by pretest, posttest, and long-term test scores, and change in clinical practice was measured by videotaped clinical encounters. RESULTS: Fifty-seven residents completed the modules. The control group had higher posttest scores than the intervention group (P = .036). Thirty-seven residents completed the long-term test with scores that were significantly higher than pretest scores (P = .00). Thirty-six residents had videotaped encounter scores (232 visits), with no difference in these scores after the intervention (P = .432). CONCLUSION: The noninteractive module was more effective in promoting knowledge acquisition. Residents successfully demonstrated knowledge retention with completion of either module. The modules were insufficient to change clinical practice.

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CONTEXT: As medical schools in the United States increase their class sizes, many institutions are forced to extend their teaching affiliations outside of their immediate communities. Geographic distribution threatens the ability to provide the uniform learning opportunities that students need and accrediting bodies require. OBJECTIVE: To determine if a Web-based, asynchronous learning module can provide an effective, uniform learning opportunity for osteopathic medical students enrolled in clinical clerkship. METHODS: Third-year osteopathic medical students enrolled in an 8-week core clinical clerkship in surgery were required to participate in a Web-based, asynchronous, interactive instructional module designed to provide opportunities for higher-order thinking through analysis, synthesis, and reflective learning. The quantity and content of students' online course interactions were analyzed to determine quantitative and qualitative features of their course participation. At the completion of the clerkship, students completed a 10-item Likert-type survey of their experience to determine the most helpful attributes of the Web-based learning module. Responses were assigned numerical values from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) to obtain a mean score for each question. RESULTS: Sixty-three students completed the Web-based module. The content of their discussions, as determined by message coding, identified the critical thinking needed to acquire abstract conceptualization of the problems presented in a typical surgery clerkship. Students found the content of the module relevant to the clerkship (mean score, 4.18) and valued facilitator feedback (4.00). Although they did not prefer Web-based instruction of classroom lecture (2.66), students indicated that the Web-based module enhanced their overall learning experience in the clerkship (3.30). CONCLUSION: Web-based technology in the clinical education of third-year osteopathic medical students appears to afford an acceptable teaching alternative when face-to-face instruction cannot be provided. Further study of the impact of instructional design on the quality of higher-order thinking in this domain is needed, as is an appreciation for the dynamics of group learning in a virtual environment.

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BACKGROUND: Teaching online and cross-discipline teaching are new experiences for many instructors. AIM: Our aim was to solicit the experiences of a group of College of Education faculty about teaching medical professionals in an online master's degree in education program. METHOD: We used a focus group approach (eight instructors) to explore and gain a deeper understanding about teaching medical professionals by instructors who are in cross disciplines (e.g., nonmedical backgrounds). RESULTS: The data were analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis approach. Six themes emerged from the instructors' comments about online teaching to medical professionals compared with other students they have taught in a classroom setting. CONCLUSION: This study has implications for online teachers and for those who are planning cross-discipline teaching programs.

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BACKGROUND: The Online Master's Degree in Education for Healthcare Professionals program, a collaboration of the University of Cincinnati Colleges of Medicine and Education, was launched nationally in 2002. The purpose of this survey-based, descriptive study was to describe the early outcomes of this new program. METHODS: Surveys were sent via email to 32 eligible students (students who have completed at least 6 of 12 required courses in the program) which included all 8 graduates. RESULTS: Based on 21 returns (66%) participants have had 19 journal publications, 99 national presentations, 13 teaching awards, 5 promotions, and acquisition of extramural funding for educational projects totaling over $3 million. CONCLUSIONS: Based on early results, graduates of the program are productive in academic medical education. We anticipate that graduates of the program will have a significant impact on medical education and will achieve promotion and advancement at their institutions.

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BACKGROUND: A growing body of literature shows that many universities and colleges are making educational portfolios part of their faculty assessment and student's learning plan for both undergraduate and graduate programs. We provide an outline for the development of a medical educator's portfolio, including an electronic version. DESCRIPTION: Guidelines for the development of an educational portfolio focusing on medical education are provided, including design, format, and content. An electronic version of the portfolio, which combines flexibility and ease of revision, is also described, including formats for publication and distribution. Student reflections on the e-portfolio are presented, and potential applications of the e-portfolio in medical education are described. CONCLUSION: We believe that portfolio development is a valuable application that provides rich documentation of participants' educational history, accomplishments, and intellectual property as related to their professional learning and growth.

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Technological advances, especially the Internet and the World Wide Web, have drastically changed educational practices by reforming the concept of education and knowledge transmission at a distance. Professionals in all disciplines have begun using this advanced technology to expand the number of learning opportunities for intellectual growth and professional development. As a result, many universities and educational institutions now offer online higher degree programs to provide opportunities for nontraditional students who have difficulty attending scheduled, campus-based classes. In medicine, a need has been identified for advanced graduate studies in education to develop the next generation of medical educators and to train them in educational research methods to validate their educational efforts. This need was identified by both informal needs assessment at local, regional, and national faculty development meetings and more formal literature review and government survey. The faculty development team of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine) collaborated with the College of Education to develop an online Master's Degree in Education for health care professionals. The program was designed to apply these advanced technologies in order to make the program flexible and accessible to health care professionals whose busy schedules preclude more traditional, in-class graduate programs. This article presents how this program evolved and the problems, challenges, and solutions associated with the development and implementation of the program.

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