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ACADEMIC MEDICINE PROGRAM

Program Information

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Admission Information

Admission Process

Pre-Admission Process

All potential applicants should complete and submit the online pre-application form below (information and essay sections). Also, please email your most recent Curriculum Vitae to academicmedicine@med.usc.edu.

Upon successful review of your Pre-Application and CV, you will be invited to complete the University of Southern California’s graduate school admissions process and meet the requirements listed below as a candidate in the Master of Academic Medicine program.

Click here to complete the online Pre-Application form

Criteria for Admission

Applicants for admission to the Master of Academic Medicine program are generally expected to have an advanced degree in medicine or another health profession. Official transcripts from other institutions will need to be submitted. Proof of graduation is required.

For all applicants, an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (A=4.0) is expected and three letters of recommendation are required.

For questions or to make an appointment with a faculty advisor, call (323) 442-3004 or send an email to Dr. Julie Nyquist, academicmedicine@med.usc.edu.

Tuition Cost and Degree Requirements

A minimum of 32 units of graduate-level course work is required, 26 units of core coursework and 6 units of electives. A faculty advisor will help guide your decision about a program of study including selection of electives.

Participants can take one or two courses per semester and finish in three to five years. Alternately, by taking two courses every semester the program can be completed in just 24 months (six semesters).

Tuition and fees will be at USC’s prevailing graduate course rate. Fees vary depending on the number of units taken. Refer to the current online  University catalog for tuition information. Consult your faculty advisor for the details when you develop your Program of Studies

Course Information

  • ACMD 501 : Introduction to Academic Medicine | 3 units – Fall
    Introduces the master’s program | teacher, leader, scholar, mentor, including issues challenges, and opportunities for faculty in academic medicine, and the competencies needed to thrive.

    ACMD 502 : Becoming a Leader in Academic Medicine | 3 units – Fall
    Approaches to leadership within academic medicine and health professions education, with intense development of self as a leader.

    ACMD 503 : Leading Change in Academic Medical Centers | 3 units – Spring
    Exploration and practice of skills for promoting programs within health professions’ education; building trust, developing leaders, leading teams, guiding change, managing conflict, and negotiation.

    ACMD 511 : Competencies in Academic Medicine and Health I | 3 units – Spring
    Building curricula to promote learning in health professions education: learning principles, instructional methods, assessment techniques, and coaching learners.

    ACMD 512 : Competencies in Academic Medicine and Health II | 3 units – Spring
    Guiding learning and profession development in clinical settings, and promoting competencies related to patient care, practice-based learning and improvement, and systems-based practice.

    ACMD 513 : Professionalism in Academic Medicine and Health | 3 units – Fall
    Acquisition and evaluation of interpersonal and communication skills and professionalism including ethics, cultural competence, and promotion of equity, diversity, and inclusion within academic medicine.

    ACMD 514 : Accreditation and Program Evaluation in Academic Medicine | 3 units – Summer
    Evaluating health professions training programs within guidelines of relevant accreditation organizations; models of evaluation, designing plans and tools for evaluation of program elements.

    ACMD 591 : Designing Research on Innovations in Academic Medicine | 2 units – Fall
    Introduction to design and scholarly review of innovations in health professions education; needs assessment, problem selection, use of research methods to study an innovation.

    ACMD 592 – Implementing Research on Innovations in Academic Medicine | 2 units – Spring
    Use of qualitative and quantitative data to examine innovations in academic medicine, and development of formal written research reports. | Prerequisite, ACMD-591

    ACMD 621 : Capstone Portfolio for the Master of Academic Medicine | 1 unit – Fall, Spring, Summer
    Role of portfolios for teachers and learners; develop a personal capstone portfolio that represents each learner’s accomplishment of the core competencies of the MACM program

  • ACMD 593 : Foundations of Scholarly Writing in Academic Medicine | 1 unit – instructor permission
    Focus is on writing a journal article. Students should have a completed study of an innovation in health professions training ready to take to publication.

    ACMD 598 : Guided Study in Health Professions education | 1 unit – Fall, Spring, Summer
    Individual projects to further develop knowledge or skills related to their master of academic medicine program.

    ACMD 604 : Supporting the Educational Enterprise in Academic Medicine | 3 units – Summer
    Explores organizational structures, types of leadership, leadership positions, and support functions, and own future roles, within academic medical centers and health professions schools.

    ACMD 605 : Faculty Development for Health Professions Faculty | 2 units – Summer
    Evolving roles of faculty development in supporting faculty in their own development and supporting change in health professions education (e.g., enhancing equity, inclusion, diversity, wellbeing.

Sample Courses of Study

6 Semesters – for education fellows and selected faculty

10 Semesters – for faculty who like to focus on one course at a time in most semesters

  • Fall – Year 1 (all activities on-line)

    • ACMD 501 – Introduction to Academic Medicine (3 units)
    • ACMD 591 – Designing Research on Innovations in Academic Medicine (2 units)

    Spring – Year 1 (on-line combined with one week at USC)

    • ACMD 511 – Competencies in Academic Medicine and Health I (3 units)
    • ACMD 512 – Competencies in Academic Medicine and Health II (3 units)

    Summer – Year 1 (all activities on-line or at home site)

    • ACMD 514 – Accreditation and Program Evaluation in Academic Medicine (3 units)
    • ACMD 604 – Supporting the Educational Enterprise in Academic Medicine (3 units)

    Fall – Year 2 (all activities on-line or at home site)

    • ACMD 502 – Becoming a Leader in Academic Medicine (3 units)
    • ACMD 513 – Professionalism in Academic Medicine and Health (3 units)

    Spring – Year 2 (on-line combined with one week at USC)

    • ACMD 503 – Leading Change in Academic Medical Centers (3 units)
    • ACMD 592 – Implementing Research on Innovations in Academic Medicine (2 units)

    Summer – Year 2 (all activities on-line)

    • ACMD 598 – Guided Study in Health Professions Education (1 unit)
    • ACMD 605 – Faculty Development for Health Professions Faculty (2 units)
    • ACMD 621 – Capstone Portfolio for the Master of Academic Medicine (1 unit}

  • Fall – Semester 1 (all activities on-line)

    • ACMD 501 – Introduction to Academic Medicine (3 units)

    Spring – Semester 2 (on-line combined with 5 days at USC)

    • ACMD 511 – Competencies in Academic Medicine and Health I (3 units)

    Summer – Semester 3 (all activities on-line or at home site)

    • ACMD 604 – Supporting the Educational Enterprise in Academic Medicine (3 units)

    Fall – Semester 4 (all activities on-line)

    • ACMD 513 – Professionalism in Academic Medicine and Health (3 units)
    • ACMD 591 – Designing Research on Innovations in Academic Medicine (2 units)

    Spring – Semester 5 (on-line combined with 3 days at USC)

    • ACMD 512 – Competencies in Academic Medicine and Health II (3 units)

    Summer – Semester 6 (all activities on-line or at home site)

    • ACMD 514 – Accreditation and Program Evaluation in Academic Medicine (3 units)

    Fall – Semester 7 (all activities on-line or at home site)

    • ACMD 502 – Becoming a Leader in Academic Medicine (3 units)

    Spring – Semester 8 (on-line combined with 6 days at USC)

    • ACMD 503 – Leading Change in Academic Medical Centers (3 units)
    • ACMD 592 – Implementing Research on Innovations in Academic Medicine (2 units)

    Summer – Semester 9 (all activities on-line)

    • ACMD 605 – Faculty Development for Health Professions Faculty (2 units)
    • ACMD 598 – Guided Study in Health Professions Education (1 unit)

    Fall – Semester 10 (all activities on-line or at home site)

    • ACMD 621 – Capstone Portfolio for the Master of Academic Medicine (1 unit)