Abstract:
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS)
strives to instill in its graduates skills and competencies appropriate to serving the
Tanzanian population well. MUHAS leadership, working in collaboration with
educators from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), selected and
trained an interdisciplinary group of faculty members to promote effective teaching.
We describe the development of this group of faculty change agents – now known as
the Health Professions Educators Group (HPEG). The HPEG invigorated the
education environment at MUHAS by: engaging many colleagues in special
training events that introduced new methods for teaching and assessment; encouraging
innovation; and developing strong mentoring relationships. HPEG members
piloted courses in education to prepare all postgraduate students as peer educators,
teaching assistants, and as candidates for faculty future appointments. Creation of a
‘teaching commons’ reinforces the new focus on innovative teaching as faculty
members share experiences and gain recognition for their contributions to quality
education.
