New Ph.D. program in health practice, medical education research

Laura Bilek, Ph.D.

UNMC Graduate Studies is offering a new Health Practice and Medical Education Research (HPMER) doctoral program to support two growing scholarly areas of interest within the Medical Sciences Interdepartmental Area (MSIA).

HPMER is the ideal track for students seeking to pursue a Ph.D. in emergency preparedness, a growing career field due to new accreditation requirements in the health care and public health sectors. HPMER also supports the growing trend toward innovative approaches to health professions education, especially in the e-learning and simulation technology spheres.

The new program was created under the leadership of Laura Bilek, Ph.D., College of Allied Health Professions, and Sharon Medcalf, Ph.D., College of Public Health.

“The opportunities to explore the simulation learning field increases exponentially as Dr. Edwin G. & Dorothy Balbach Davis Global Center opens, and our incoming students learn through immersive and interactive simulation experiences. Both scholarly areas need evidence-based research to eventually guide practice, and we are excited to follow the next generation of researchers as they advance these fields,” said Dr. Medcalf, who serves as HPMER program director.

The inaugural cohort of 11 students enrolled for the 2019-20 academic year.

Program details

  • Part of MSIA umbrella: HPMER becomes the seventh sub-plan within the Medical Sciences Interdepartmental Area.
    • Ph.D. training: Students participate in research that explores health practice, health policy, population health, or health education.
      • UNMC and UNO Collaboration: The program is jointly administered by faculty at UNMC and the University of Nebraska-Omaha.