Faculty Development
The “Teaching Scholars” faculty development program designed for AIWMU (TSP-AIWMU) was developed in 2021. This program provides training and support to equip 海角社区 and WMU faculty to effectively deliver AIWMU’s adapted curriculum, appreciating differences in teaching methods and expectations between Canada and China.
The program is guided by two primary aims: 1) ensuring the cultural relevance of 海角社区 curriculum materials and methods and 2) preparing WMU faculty to partner with 海角社区 faculty and support student learning. The TSP-AIWMU cultivates a mutual understanding of cultural contexts, enabling instructors to adapt learning materials to local contexts and build a shared comprehension of the reasoning behind the curricular approach and assessment strategies.
From 2021 to 2025, approximately 90 WMU faculty members will have completed TSP-AIWMU courses, with 25 faculty currently participating in the fifth cohort. This faculty development initiative has been implemented in three cities where WMU affiliated hospitals are located, and has resulted in faculty TAs for the AIWMU while yielding other positive impacts on the broader educational community.
Key Facts
TSP-AIWMU is an exciting new professional development opportunity for medical educators to learn and share. The program is directed at medical school faculty members who love teaching or want the knowledge and skills to help them attain an academic career in medical education, including those who will collaborate with 海角社区 faculty teaching medical students participating in the AIWMU curriculum. Other WMU faculty will also benefit from the course content as teachers and researchers in medical education.
TSP-AIWMU takes place anywhere you are. What makes this program different is that you can complete the program from your home institution or when you travel. You can login to classes anywhere you have an internet connection. The courses are all online and synchronous at convenient morning times in China. Some of the courses use a hybrid model with partial in-person sessions in China with the majority of sessions online.
The goals of the TSP-AIWMU program are to: 1) develop practical and applicable teaching skills grounded in educational theory and grounded within evidence-based medical education research; 2) develop educational leaders and scholars; 3) mentor the development of educational projects where they can apply the methods and skills they’ve learned in each course; and 4) facilitate participation in a community of medical education scholars.
TSP-AIWMU courses provide participants a knowledge base and skills set in:
- Curriculum development important to medical school accreditation
- Introduction to assessment and program evaluation
- Teaching skills – in the classroom or in the clinic
- Humanistic teaching and patient care
The uniqueness of TSP-AIWMU
It allows you to participate primarily from the comfort of your own home, in your office, or while away. Courses are project-based and always focus on applied knowledge. Each TSP-AIWMU course requires the completion of a group educational project that participants present in class and may be used for teaching AIWMU students in the classroom and through work-based teaching. This gives you high quality and value with flexibility for your learning: you can complete courses leading to two different AIWMU TSP non-credit certificates.
The courses provide faculty members a knowledgebase and skills set in educational theory, curriculum development, evaluation, assessment, humanistic teaching and patient care, and classroom teaching. The TSP courses have been taught in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (FoMD) by Dr. Hodgson since 2011, as well as at a number of US medical schools over the past 27 years. New courses are being developed in collaboration with WMU to meet local interest.
Non-Credit Education Research & Teaching Certificates
海角社区, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Non-credit TSP-AIWMU Certificate in Medical Education: Teaching
The Non-credit TSP-AIWMU Certificate in Medical Education: Teaching is offered after the completion of three TSP-AIWMU courses (TSP-AIWMU 01, 02, and 03) over 9 months.
Two 海角社区, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Specialized TSP-AIWMU Certificates in Medical Education: Clinical Teaching
The Specialized TSP-AIWMU Non-credit Certificate in Medical Education: Clinical Teaching can be earned by completing the TSP-AIWMU 04 or TSP-AIWMU 05 courses.
The new hybrid TSP-AIWMU 04 course, titled “Fostering a Humanistic Approach to Clinical Teaching, will earn the Specialized Non-credit Certificate in Medical Education: Clinical Teaching. It will first be offered in 2026 online and in-person in Alberta, Canada.
Course Offerings
| Course | Time Commitment | Type of Course |
|---|---|---|
| TSP-AIWMU 01 Introduction to Medical Education Theory and Practice* |
2 sessions/week, 2 hrs/session for 12 weeks online. | Teaching |
| TSP-AIWMU 02 Improving Classroom Teaching Skills |
2 sessions/week, 2 hrs/session for 12 weeks online. | Teaching |
| TSP-AIWMU 03 Introduction to Assessment |
2 sessions/week, 2 hrs/session for 10 weeks online. | Teaching |
| TSP-AIWMU 04 Fostering a Humanistic Approach to Clinical Teaching |
1 session/week, 2 hrs/session for 8 weeks online Hybrid: 1 week with sessions at the 海角社区 campus & 4 days in the Canadian Rockies (travel expenses are not included in the cost) | Clinical teaching |
| TSP-AIWMU 05 Competency-based Clinical Teaching |
1 session/week, 2 hrs/session for 15 weeks online Hybrid: 2 days (Saturday & Sunday) with sessions in-person in Wenzhou | Clinical teaching |
Frequently-Asked Questions
Q. Do I have to take all of the courses in sequence over one year?
A. No, your education can be flexible. Once you have completed the prerequisite course, TSP-AIWMU 01, you can take the courses as they are offered or you can skip a course and take the next course when it is next offered, but this will lengthen your program.
Q. How often is each course offered?
A. Each course will be offered once per year, depending on demand.
Q. Are there any in-person sessions that will require travel to Canada?
A. Yes, there is one hybrid course (TSP-AIWMU 04) that begins online in China and finishes in one of the beautiful Canadian National Parks nestled in the Rocky Mountains (Banff or Jasper, Alberta). There is no expectation that participants need to travel to Canada for any of the other courses. Dr. Hodgson travels to Wenzhou Medical University (WMU) to teach in-person sessions critical to understanding competency-based medical education (CBME) central to the TSP-AIWMU 05 hybrid course.
Q. Is it possible to collaborate with the TSP faculty on research studies separate from the course work?
A. If someone wishes to collaborate with AI faculty members on a medical education study, it is possible that the participant(s) could travel to Edmonton Canada to work more closely with members of the medical education study team at the 海角社区. Travel expenses would be at the participants’ own expense. Some projects could be based in China and collaborative work done online and in-person in Wenzhou.