Distinction in Medical Education

The Distinction in Medical Education is an addition to the M.D. degree. The purpose of this Distinction is to help medical students prepare for a career in academic medicine or academic research. The program provides students with a general overview of various career paths in academia while encouraging academic research production.

Requirements

The following requirements help ensure the objective evaluation of applicants for the Distinction. All of them must be completed by January 15 of the student’s fourth year.

• Attend 6 hours of professional development related to academic medicine to include conferences, workshops, or other approved activities.

• Complete a scholarly project that includes the following elements:

  1. Development of teaching, curriculum, admissions, or student affairs project.
  2. Delivery of the project to a student audience.
  3. Evaluation or assessment of the project
• Present a poster at a conference (Passport or other acceptable)
• Produce a scholarly publication for submission
• Actively engage in a mentorship with a relationship with a UT Health San Antonio faculty member in an area that relates to student project
• Capstone presentation and reflective summary to committee and advisors.
•  Maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.25
• Document at least 500 hours of scholarly activity to include any work related to the project. Some examples of scholarly activity are meeting with a mentor, attending conferences, drafting paper, project research, presenting a poster, or any additional activities related to the student's project.

Project Approval

Students must meet with the Director of Academic Enhancement to discuss the project and completing the Distinction. Set up an appointment by emailing medstudentaffairs@uthscsa.edu. The Distinction in Medical Education Faculty Committee approves topics.

Capstone Presentation

Students are required to submit their manuscript, evidence of their poster presentation, and an account of their hours during January of the fourth year. During March, students pursuing the Distinction present to a committee of three faculty members and several staff members from the Office of Undergraduate Medical Education. This presentation outlines their project, findings, and allows students to receive feedback about their research.