The Medical Education Leadership Track (MELT) is designed to prepare Penn Internal Medicine residents to successfully assume faculty positions in academic medicine and, more specifically, to prepare residents to become leaders in medical education. This is accomplished through training in the science, theoretical frameworks and principles of medical education, development of effective teaching skills, development of skills in medical education scholarship (including medical education research and curriculum development), and via mentoring by faculty with experience in medical education leadership and scholarship.
Overview of Track
The Medical Education Leadership Track is a mentored, two year longitudinal experience within Penn’s Internal Medicine residency program. Entrance to the track is via application during winter of intern year. Track residents are expected to commit a significant amount of their elective time during PGY-2 and PGY-3 to the endeavor. The track experience begins with a two week immersive elective in medical education which is held each summer for rising PGY-2s who have been admitted to the track. Over the course of the next two years track residents hone their teaching skills in a variety of teaching venues within the medical school and residency. Residents are observed teaching sessions by faculty who then debrief the session and give feedback on the teaching session. Residents act as Junior Inpatient and Outpatient Attendings, again with faculty oversight, in order to hone their educational leadership skills. During the PGY-3 year, track residents spend four weeks acting as Teaching Mentor for the medicine clerkship. During the Teaching Mentor block residents teach clerkship didactics, lead physical diagnosis rounds, and support struggling clerkship students. Another focus of the track is giving residents the skills to perform and present scholarly work in medical education, in the form of either curricular development or medical education research. Track residents work closely with a faculty mentor on a project of their choosing with the goal of presenting their work at an academic conference during the PGY-3 year. Finally, track residents actively participate on the intern selection committee and are often members of the residency steering committee, giving them an opportunity to experience medical education administration activities. Most importantly, track residents are closely mentored by senior faculty with expertise in various facets of medical education leadership.
FAQs About MELT
Who can apply to the Medical Education Leadership Track?
The Medical Education Leadership Track accepts residents from both the categorical medicine residency and the primary care residency, as well as residents from the combined medicine/pediatrics program with CHOP.
Can I be interested in subspecialty medicine and still be in the track?
Yes! While we need to be more deliberate when considering your elective time in order to ensure you are competitive for your chosen subspecialty fellowship, we welcome residents who plan to pursue additional subspecialty training.
What do track graduates do?
Graduates of the track have had much success in securing academic faculty positions with significant educator responsibilities including:
- Academic primary care faculty with substantial teaching/precepting responsibilities
- Academic (teaching) hospitalists
- Chief medical resident
- Medical education fellowship
- Subspecialty fellowships and subsequent subspecialty faculty positions with plans for a role in fellowship leadership
Track Directors
For questions pertaining to the Medical Education Leadership Track, please email the co-directors:
Laura E Dingfield, MD, MSEd
Email: Laura.Dingfield@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Rachel Hilburg, MD
Email: Rachel.Hilburg@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
MELT 2023 Project examples