April 28, 2016

Ehrenfeld to direct VUSM’s education research program

Jesse Ehrenfeld, M.D., MPH, associate professor of Anesthesiology, Biomedical Informatics, Surgery and Health Policy, has been named director of education research for the Office of Health Sciences Education.

Jesse Ehrenfeld, M.D., MPH, associate professor of Anesthesiology, Biomedical Informatics, Surgery and Health Policy, has been named director of education research for the Office of Health Sciences Education.

Jesse Ehrenfeld, M.D., MPH

Appointed in January, Ehrenfeld said he has worked with nearly 40 faculty members on developing, piloting and implementing various education research projects.

“There are many faculty doing some really innovative, exciting work in the education space, particularly tied to Curriculum 2.0,” Ehrenfeld said. “There are opportunities to advance our pipeline of scholarship, disseminate the groundbreaking work that we are doing here at Vanderbilt and turn it into peer-reviewed literature.

“Basically, I want to be the megaphone that can broadcast the innovative, educational scholarship that is happening across Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.”

Although most of his work will focus on supporting faculty, Ehrenfeld said he will also help residents and students with research and scholarship initiatives providing mentorship, oversight and assistance with project management.

Bonnie Miller, M.D., associate vice chancellor for Health Affairs and senior associate dean for Heath Sciences Education, is grateful Ehrenfeld is on board to advance education research and scholarship.

“Over the past decade our faculty have created effective and highly innovative approaches to learning across the medical education continuum,” said Miller. “Jesse will help assure that the impacts of these innovations are rigorously studied and disseminated through publications as well as presentations.”

As the education scholarship and capacity grows, Ehrenfeld anticipates the program will expand.

“This new role has given me an exciting opportunity to work across the entire continuum of training in the health sciences,” he said.

“Across the medical school, our residency training programs and faculty development activities, there is an astounding amount of innovation happening.

“I am excited to work with faculty in all of these areas, to help find ways that we can facilitate the dissemination of their novel educational activities.”

Ehrenfeld said he holds weekly office hours and is available for one-on-one consultations.