The TLA is a cohort-based faculty development program designed to help faculty strengthen their teaching, curriculum design, and educational leadership skills. In a collaborative community of practice, participants will explore how learning works, how effective educational experiences are designed, and how evidence-based teaching strategies can support learner success across clinical and non-clinical environments.

Throughout the program, participants will engage with topics such as learning and motivation theory, instructional design, assessment, feedback, learner engagement, inclusive teaching, and emerging issues in health professions education. Faculty also complete an applied educational project that addresses a real instructional need within the institution.

Recent participant projects have included development of a medical Spanish clinical skills course and OSCE, creation of a surgical skills competition program, enhancement of instruction related to managing emotional trauma, integration of medical coding into clinical skills education, and revision of a fourth-year teaching elective for residency preparation.

We encourage faculty from all career stages and specialties to apply and join a community committed to advancing teaching, learning, and educational excellence at CUSM.

• Faculty with limited or no formal training in teaching
• Faculty interested in revising or designing instructional materials
• Faculty launching new courses, clerkships, or programs
• Educators seeking to strengthen teaching in clinical or classroom settings
• Faculty interested in educational leadership and curricular innovation

Schedule:

14 sessions, roughly every other Friday from September 18, 2026, to April 23, 2027

Time:

11:00am–1:00pm

Format:

Virtual via Teams; Session 1, Session 7, and Session 14 (last session) are In-Person

Application Deadline:

August 21st, 2026

Notification of Acceptance:

August 28th, 2026

Cohort Size:

limited to 6 faculty members

• Explain key principles of how learning works and apply them to teaching and curriculum design
• Design equitable and inclusive learning environments that support diverse learners
• Use practical tools to design, deliver, and assess instruction in clinical and non-clinical settings
• Create or revise instructional materials using evidence-based design principles
• Develop and implement an applied educational project that addresses a teaching or curricular need
• Share educational innovations and resources with colleagues across the CUSM community
• Reflect on and increase confidence in their teaching practice and educational leadership capabilities