Developing a Center for Education Research and Scholarship in a Department of Pediatrics

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background The skills needed to engage in scholarship in medical education are not part of the training that all physicians acquire. To build skills and promote scholarship, we developed a Center for Education Research and Scholarship (CERS) in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado. In this paper, we offer recommendations for others who seek to establish departmental-level efforts to support education. Approach and Lessons Learned CERS provides an "education home" for those interested in education scholarship, supplementing campus-wide efforts such as an Academy of Medical Educators. Mentorship from two experienced leaders in medical education provided a foundation for other faculty in the department and helped to build scholarship efforts more broadly. Through a weekly meeting and an annual departmental retreat, CERS provides opportunities for community among educators, faculty development in the skills needed to engage in education research, and a forum for generating ideas and planning projects. Essential resources for success include at least one leader with expertise in educational research, an administrative and/or research assistant, and some funding for faculty time and initiation of projects. Mentors with experience in education research and scholarship are also needed, although a group of mentors quickly grows as more individuals engage. Results Benefits to the department include peer-reviewed presentations and publications in medical education, with regional, national, and international recognition. Faculty members can focus on medical education as a key component of their careers, and the quality of education programs is enhanced. Conclusions While it takes time to fully develop a departmental center for education scholarship, it is possible to start small and grow. One or two leaders in education with vision can begin the effort and engage others, and the faculty will begin to experience the satisfaction of collaborative projects in education, successful innovation, and dissemination of scholarship.