Distinction in Medical Education Program

DIME- Graduation with Distinction in Medical Education

This prestigious and rigorous program is intended to support and recognize Robert Wood Johnson Medical School students who have shown exceptional involvement, accomplishment, and scholarship in medical education. These students must have distinguished themselves by assuming a significant level of responsibility in planning, carrying out and completing a scholarly educational activity. Students who are accepted into this program and who fulfill all requirements as certified by the DIME committee will receive diplomas at Commencement stating that they have graduated with “Distinction in Medical Education.”

The DIME program is designed for students who are interested in teaching, educational scholarship, and a possible career in academic medicine. The opportunities for training, teaching, and participation in a scholarly education project have implications for contributing to the improvement of resident and physician teaching skills. The commitment to and involvement in medical education must be intensive. Students are encouraged to express interest in the program by the spring semester of their first year or during the summer between their first and second year.

→ Fall 2020 Seminar Information

Goals of DIME

The goals of the DIME program are to recognize students who have demonstrated exceptional and sustained commitment to scholarship in medical education. The program affords the opportunity to train students in teaching and scholarship in medical education, and to offer recognition for completed projects, while adding to an important body of knowledge.

Four Components for Achieving Distinction in Medical Education

Didactic training in theory and skills:

➢ 1. DIME non-credit elective: attend 10 sessions during M1 and/or M2:

• Interactive sessions are scheduled throughout the academic year,
typically at noon. These sessions are designed to build students’
knowledge and skills related to teaching and conducting research in
academic medicine

➢ 2. M3-M4 Academic Medicine Elective: take 2 or 4 week elective:

• Students can complete the writing and presentation of research project
as well as explore other interests related to academic medicine. Allows
concentrated time for students to work closely with mentor.

Application of theory and skills training:

➢ 3. Complete medical education research project, present at conference and
prepare for publication.

• Completion of DIME requires a high-quality research project with a focus
on medical education that demonstrates students’ ability to contribute to
the advancement of medical education. Although there is great flexibility
and variability in the content and designs used by students for a DIME
research project, the project proposal must be supported by a faculty
mentor and reviewed and approved by a committee of three faculty
members BEFORE the research commences.

➢ 4. Service through teaching, tutoring, course support, or committee participation.

• Students will participate in a “significant” educational activity (as defined
by DIME advisor) and write a brief reflection on how the experience tied
learning in the DIME non-credit elective to practical experience.

Timeline and Flow of DIME

Guidelines for Scholarship in Education

Project proposals must be approved by a faculty mentor/collaborator and by 3 members of the DIME committee. Traditional research, as well as other forms of scholarship, are encouraged. Projects will be evaluated using the standards defined by Glassick* for assessing educational scholarship.

*Glassick, C.E. , Boyer's Expanded Definitions of Scholarship, the Standards for Assessing Scholarship, and the Elusiveness of the Scholarship of Teaching, Academic Medicine, v75 n9 p877-80 Sep 2000w

For additional information, contact:

Kristen Coppola, Ph.D.

Dime Elective Director
Phone: (732) 235-4129
Kristen.Coppola@rutgers.edu