MEF News Stories
Highlight stories from MEF alumni, faculty and current fellows from the MEF newsletter.
Emily Hotez, PhD (MEF 2 ’23) Launches CME Course
In part with her MEF 2 research this past year, Dr. Emily Hotez recently launched the on-demand, virtual CME course, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Promoting Health and Well-being, an accredited healthcare provider training for promoting health and increasing uptake, access, and confidence of all vaccines—including the COVID-19 vaccine—among individuals with disabilities and their families.
As both a developmental psychologist and sister of an autistic adult, Dr. Hotez writes, “I am both professionally and personally committed to designing medical education curricula that can better support the health and well-being of marginalized populations, including individuals with disabilities. Throughout my sister’s life course, I witnessed firsthand the downstream effects of lack of healthcare provider knowledge and confidence in supporting this population. This CME is a small example of a strategy to address shortcomings in medical education surrounding disabilities.”
While this particular CME focuses on promoting vaccine confidence among individuals with disabilities, Dr. Hotez believes the strategies and resources highlighted in the training will support healthcare providers serving all populations. She says her current priority for the course is to enroll UCLA residents to ensure they feel equipped to promote vaccine confidence as they begin their journey as physicians.
Dr. Hotez also intends to use the robust research and evaluation strategy embedded into the CME during her time in MEF 2 to better understand the course’s contribution to medical education and make adjustments for future projects. Regarding MEF, Hotez noted, “It was extremely valuable to have the opportunity to learn from my peers and experts in the field through the fellowship.”
In addition to launching the CME, Dr. Hotez adds, “MEF also supported me in participating in the Harvard Macy Program for Educators in Health Professions, which has allowed me to engage with and collaborate with experts in medical education from around the world. Taken together, MEF served as a launchpad for my career in medical education research and evaluation.”
Dr. Hotez welcomes any DGSOM collaborators interested in developing and evaluating equity-focused medical education curricula and looks forward to learning more about ongoing initiatives and avenues for collaboration. She can be reached via email at ehotez@mednet.ucla.edu.
Information on the CME Course
- Course Fee: Free
- Course Release Date: 09/01/2023
- Course Termination Date: 09/01/2026
- Content: Access to all three modules, videos, and valuable resources.
- Accessibility: Review modules anytime and anywhere. Modules are delivered via a streaming platform in the optimal format for your electronic devices.
- Accreditation: This enduring material activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
Questions? Email ccpd@mednet.ucla.edu or call (310) 794-2620.