AMEE Essential Skills in Medical Education Courses

ESME Logo

The need for doctors, scientists and others involved with teaching in the healthcare professions to have training in teaching is widely recognized. The AMEE Essential Skills in Medical Education (ESME) courses have been designed to meet this need. A selection of courses is available covering basic skills in medical education, research in medical education, assessment, simulation and technology.

The courses address the basic skills required by teachers in the healthcare professions and have the following unique features:

  • The courses are organised around a major educational conference including a pre-conference workshop, recommended conference sessions and a post-conference workshop;
  • The courses are led by international experts and personalised tutorial support is provided during the conference;
  • The course format is interactive and engaging;
  • A useful set of resource material is provided to support the course;
  • There are opportunities for discussion with other course participants before, during and after the conference sessions;
  • The ESME courses are accredited by AMEE and approved by an International Advisory Board. A certificate of attendance is provided and there is an opportunity to work towards an ESME Certificate in Medical Education. The ESME Certificate is recognised as stage one of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) Fellowship Award;
  • The courses are organised in different parts of the world;

The courses have now been running for several years and are widely acclaimed by course participants.

Download a copy of the ESME Flyer.pdf, ESME Online 2013-14 Course Flyer.pdf, ESME Leadership Online 2013-14 Course Flyer.pdf

Who can benefit from attending an ESME course?

There is increasing recognition of the knowledge, skills and attitudes that contribute to quality in teaching and of the need for formal training in the area. The ESME courses are aimed at practising teachers in medicine and the healthcare professions, both basic scientists and clinicians. They are aimed at those new to teaching and at teachers with years of experience who would like a greater understanding of the basic principles and an update on current best practice. The courses recognise that, with appropriate help, all, even those with considerable experience, can improve their skills in teaching.

Which course should I attend?

The AMEE-ESME courses have a different focus:

Face-to-face AMEE-ESME courses are offered at AMEE conferences and selected courses are available at other conferences including the Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference (APMEC) in Singapore, and the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) meetings. You can choose the course that best meets your needs at a conference that suits you. Some participants start with the general ESME Course and follow this up with a more specialised course. ESME courses may also be individually designed to meet the needs of specific target audiences.

In 2012 AMEE introduced a new face-to-face course - Essential Skills in Computer-Enhanced Learning (ESCEL) Course and two online courses - ESME Online and ESME Leadership.

Look out for a new course being launched in 2013 'ESCEPD – Essential Skills in Continuing Education and Professional Development'.

Participant Comments

'The ESME course is the first course that has stimulated me to doing something substantive with my own education on medical education. The statement, “a good teacher is better than a good program” was what struck me most. In short, the good teacher will take into account the aspects of designing a teaching or learning activity as being outcome-based, considering how to design the curriculum, how learners learn and how teachers should teach, and evaluation of the learner’s assimilation of the material based on the desired outcome, as well as the effectiveness of one’s teaching program. In my own previous teaching endeavours, it was mainly teacher-centred and information driven. I now consciously attempt to make it more learner-centred and problem-based. The ESME method is indeed a useful tool for developing a good teaching program which can be adapted to many teaching situations.'