Research in the Health Professions: Beyond the Obvious

Best practices, ethics, access, discrimination, and 'Tele', - familiar words but also promising categories for research in the health professions. Health Science educators know about the need for research, but when we move beyond the obvious there may be much that is not apparent. This presentation will identify specific trends, needs, and opportunities for teaching and learning research in the health professions. Trends are changing the way we provide instruction, thus best practice guidelines based on research are needed. Next, because there are many misconceptions about teaching and learning in the health professions there is a need for research to refocus what we do as educators. Finally, moving beyond the obvious into new areas is likely to produce opportunities for funding. This presentation will move from the obvious to provide practical suggestions for researchers—experienced and novice.