Mission

To provide evidence-based health education and professional development opportunities that encourage interprofessional collaboration and enhance learners’ competence, performance, and/or patient outcomes.

We focus on compassionate, lifelong learners and advocate for the health and welfare of diverse populations. Our goal is to improve patient outcomes in the people served by the health providers we educate. 

Content Areas

Our educational offerings include clinical medicine and basic science research updates, review of current or best practice recommendations for clinical care, learning modules in quality improvement, procedural and communication skills, development exercises, and professional development in academics, leadership, and patient safety.

Target Audience

The primary target audience is Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences faculty, preceptors, alumni, staff, and students. We welcome and encourage the attendance of all health professionals and actively seek to broaden our audience through collaboration with other healthcare-related organizations throughout the United States to expand the scope of learning related to their practice.

Types of Activities

The planning process will include an assessment of professional practice gaps and expected learner outcomes, selecting all persons in a position to control content and educational methods, and evaluating the activity. Our educational activities are developed to be multi-professional. They may include single or multi-topic seminars, workshops, professional development pieces of training, standardized performance assessment labs, simulation labs, case presentations, regularly scheduled series, tumor boards, journal clubs, and enduring materials. The activities are hosted live on-site and/or streamed online. Interactions between educators and participants are encouraged through case presentations, panel discussions, question and answer sessions, audience response system technology, breakout sessions with specialty tracks, and hands-on laboratory sessions. The educational design, instructional method, and learning format are chosen to serve the planned activity's needs and learning objectives.

Expected Results

The expected results of DMU's educational activities will enhance learners’ competence, performance, and/or patient outcomes in the subject area(s) offered, encourage interprofessional collaboration, and develop teaching skills. Learners will have increased confidence in their approach to clinical, academic, or administrative problems and/or express intent to change their behavior and apply newly acquired strategies.