Department of Medical Education
Professional Development

Workshops

Are You a Patient?

The Department of Medical Education presents the Faculty Development in Education Series

April 2026

Please check back soon for upcoming workshop announcements

Previous Workshops

August 2025

Developing Engaging PowerPoint Presentations

Presenter information

Tuesday, August 19, 2025 | 5:00–6:00 PM PT
Location: Online (Zoom)
Presented by: Amanda Frataccia, MS & Jaime Thompson, MS
Credit: Eligible for 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

This session explored how to transform PowerPoint slides from informational to engaging.
Faculty learned design, storytelling, and cognitive-load strategies to create impactful visuals
that enhance student learning.

September 2025

Item Writing Made Easy

Item Writing Made Easy flyer

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 5:00–6:00 PM PT
Location: Online (Zoom)
Presented by: Cha-Chi Fung, PhD
Credit: Eligible for 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

This interactive workshop provided practical guidance on writing high-quality multiple-choice
items that measure application of knowledge.

October 2025

Designing a Single Teaching Session

Designing a Single Teaching Session flyer

Monday, October 20, 2025 | 5:00–6:00 PM PT
Location: Online (Zoom)
Presented by: Julie Nyquist, PhD
Credit: Eligible for 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

Faculty examined their own teaching activities and explored the process of designing an
effective single learning session.

November 2025

From A to Z: How We Can Use AI to Teach Gen Z

From A to Z workshop flyer

Tuesday, November 18th, 2025 | 5:00–6:00 PM PT
Location: Online (Zoom)
Presented by: David Diller, MD, MHPE
Credit: Eligible for 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

Faculty explored how generative AI is reshaping the ways today’s medical students learn and
how educators teach in the classroom and at the bedside.

December 2025

Prompt Engineering 101 – Using AI Chat Tools Optimally for Your Medical Education Needs

Prompt Engineering 101 workshop flyer

Tuesday, December 16th, 2025 | 5:00–6:00 PM PT
Location: Online (Zoom)
Presented by: Jacob Schreiber, EdD and Matthew Nation
Credit: Eligible for 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

Participants explored systematic approaches to prompt engineering that support curriculum design, assessment development, and other core educational tasks while maintaining accuracy and transparency in AI-assisted work.

January 2026

Integrating Active Learning Strategies in Instruction

Presenter information

Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 | 5:00–6:00 PM PT
Location: Online (Zoom)
Presented by: Kevin Nash, PhD and Ronan Hallowell, EdD, MA
Credit: Eligible for 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

This interactive session models active learning while equipping participants with practical,ready-to-use strategies for designing engaging large- and small-group instruction. Faculty worked through concrete case-based learning examples and leave with tools to redesign their own sessions for greater learner engagement and clinical reasoning.

February 2026

AI in Teaching at USC: What Faculty Can Do Now

Presenter information

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 | 5:00–6:00 PM PT
Location: Online (Zoom)
Presented by: Ingrid Steiner, EdD
Credit: Eligible for 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

This session took a hands-on tour of what AI in teaching can look like at USC. Attendees reviewed campus resources and support available to instructors and walked through several concrete examples — from quick course-prep wins to assignment-design ideas. The goal was simple: participants left with a clearer sense of what AI can do today, what it can’t, and a few practical ways to incorporate it into their teaching practice.

March 2026

Strengthening Learning Environments Through Nonviolent Communication: Skills for Connection, Clarity, and Compassion

Presenter information

Tuesday, March 24th, 2026 | 5:00–6:00 PM PT
Location: Online (Zoom)
Presented by: Julie G. Nyquist, PhD
Credit: Eligible for 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

Healthy learning environments depend on clear communication, psychological safety, and the ability to respond constructively when tension or misunderstanding arises. Faculty and trainees often react to the words being spoken rather than the underlying emotions and needs that give rise to those words, leading to escalation or disengagement. Nonviolent Communication (NVC) offers a practical method for noticing feelings and unmet needs in oneself and others and responding with clarity and compassion. A recent 2024 scoping review in BMC Health Services Research found that NVC training improves interpersonal relationships among healthcare professionals and reduces horizontal violence. This workshop introduces core NVC concepts and provides hands-on practice to help faculty and trainees “hear the emotion, not the words” and engage others with empathic, need-aware communication that supports psychological safety and effective supervision.

Additional Professional Development Opportunities
The Keck Office for Faculty Affairs offers a wide range of faculty development programs focused on inclusion, career advancement, and leadership.