Exploring perspectives on health professions education scholarship units from sub-Saharan Africa

Unit names and descriptors

Department of Health Sciences Education (fully fledged academic departments within the relevant health sciences or medical faculty)

3

Center for Health Professions Education (autonomous entity within the relevant health sciences or medical faculty which may or may not have academic status)

5

Division Health Sciences Education (situated within a department)

1

Country

Botswana

1

South Africa

6

Uganda

1

Zimbabwe

1

Unit director’s highest degree

PhD

7

MB, ChB (Medical Degree)^a, Master’s degree in Medicine^b

2

Qualifications of unit members

PhD = 2; Masters = 4

1

PhD = 3; Masters = 1

1

PhD = 3; Masters = 1

1

PhD = 3

1

PhD = 2

2

PhD = 1

2

Medical Doctor = 1

1

Unit reports to:

Deputy Dean/Vice-Dean/Assistant Dean for education/teaching and learning typically in a medical or health sciences faculty

5

Principal of College/Dean of Faculty (medicine and/or health sciences)

3

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (University leader: teaching and learning)

1

Units’ funding sources

Fully funded by the institution

6

Partially funded by institution, partially funded from other sources

3

Unit history

New director (past 1–2 years) for new or reorganized unit

5

Experienced director (4 years or more) of an established or reorganized unit

4

Staff/faculty development

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Support for e‑learning/educational innovation

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Postgraduate programme offerings

x

x

x

–

x

–

–

x

–

Quality assurance

–

–

–

–

–

–

x

x

x

Support for staff in education-related endeavors (i.e., curriculum renewal)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Student support activities

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Promote the development of HPE scholarship within their institutions

x

x

x

x

x

–

x

x

x

Engage in their own HPE research

x

x

x

x

x

–

x

x

x