Looking back at the MHPE: two graduates share their story

Why did you join the MHPE?

Lisa: 'My name is Lisa Tegelaar, I am a Dutch Dental Hygienist and a Teacher in the Bachelor of Dental Hygiene at the Hogeschool Utrecht, The Netherlands. I initially got inspired by the experience of my colleague, who introduced me to the MHPE. She told me with great enthusiasm about the great experiences she had and what the MHPE contained.'

Khalid: 'My name is Khalid Al-Karbi, a family medicine consultant from Qatar, a training faculty of the family medicine residency program, and a teaching faculty in the Qatar University school of medicine. Reflecting on my responsibilities as a medical educator I have identified areas for improvement in educational practices, and embarked on a journey to fill these gaps.

Motivated by the desire to make an impact, I have decided to pursue a Master’s in Health Professions Education (MHPE). As I believed that the program would equip me with the needed knowledge in pedagogy, curriculum design, and educational leadership.'

You recently graduated from the MHPE. Congratulations! How do you look back on these two years and what was your experience with the new curriculum? 

Lisa: 'I look back on two MHPE years with great pride. The MHPE is a challenging, but a very rewarding master. It takes a lot of time and planning skills, but you learn a lot from the common tasks, elective tasks and your international peers. I really enjoyed working in the multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural context. With the new curriculum, the MHPE gave me the opportunity to choose electives based on my interests and where I needed or wanted to grow in. Programmatic assessment was new to me, and I had to learn to shift from the traditional grading system (e.g. 1-10), to the 5 level’s on all competencies. However, when I got used to programmatic assessment I experienced it as really valuable and got feedback which I then used for other tasks to improve myself and my skills.'

Khalid: 'My journey with the MHPE started on 2021 with the initiation of the new curriculum. Although my knowledge about the old curriculum is limited, however my experience with the new curriculum was unique. It helped me to build my confidence by using innovative teaching and learning methods, engaging me in hands on tasks and provide me with the appropriate level of the help, finally focusing on educational leadership and equip me with strategies to anticipate and mitigate them. 

My experience in the MHPE program was eventful, and the support that I have received from both the faculty and colleagues cannot be forgotten. The guidance and the encouragement I received was crucial in shaping my educational journey. Therefore, I am determined to transfer this experience to my trainees and students in the future.'

Which moments in these past years stood out for you? 

Lisa: 'The moment that stood out for me was during the campus 2 period. We organized a “candy-swap”, so everyone took some candy or other things from their home country and told us what it was and then we swapped it with each other. This was really a fun way to learn about each other’s countries and cultures.'

Khalid: 'Campus 2 period was an unforgettable experience in my life, filled with growth, learning, friendships, and cherished memories. I would advise all the future MHPE student not to miss out on this transformative experience as it is crucial to build their capacity as a medical educator in a unique way.'