Reflections
Reflections on the Masters in Health Sciences Education
About Me
Hello! My name is Trystan, and I work as a paramedic, firefighter and rescue technician – but I think of myself primarily as an educator. Let me tell you why, and why I think that it matters.
After convocating from university with a bachelor’s degree in biology, I took the obvious next step and became a paramedic! In the following years, I was fortunate to work in several urban, rural, and remote settings and I had opportunities to expand into firefighting and rescue specialties.
The whole time, I was teaching. While I was at university, I taught swimming, CPR, and kayaking. After university, when I became a paramedic, I added some Heart and Stroke courses like ACLS and PALS. After a few years of fire fighting, I became a qualified fire instructor and started teaching that, too. Eventually, I joined the faculties at the BC Justice Institute and Columbia School of Paramedicine, among others, and I began teaching other paramedics.
In my professional journey as a paramedic, I have seen that the public perception of paramedicine is not one of an “educated profession”. When I compare my paramedic education to my degree in biology, I can’t really say that one was any more or less challenging or rigorous than the other. To optimize policy, safety, and general public health, I think it’s important that paramedics and the public recognize the level of education advanced paramedics have, and what they bring to the table. So, my goal for many years has been to help paramedicine become a professional degree program. That’s why I got involved in the Master’s in Health Sciences Education program in the first place. What follows is a reflection on what I’ve learned in this program and what I hope to be able to apply to give back to the community of paramedics and the communities that paramedics serve.
The MHSE program has been an interesting and transformative journey for me, marking a significant shift in my career path. When I began the program, I saw myself primarily as a paramedic who happened to teach. However, as I progressed through the program and gained deeper insights into the field of education, I realized I was undergoing a transformation. I now see myself as an educator who is also a paramedic, a shift that reflects my evolving priorities and professional growth. This transformation comes as I transition further away from street medicine and focus more on the world of education.
This change in my professional direction feels especially salient as it aligns with the broader evolution of the paramedic profession itself. Historically, educators in this field were often working paramedics who taught on their days off, bringing their firsthand experience to the classroom. While this approach served the profession well in its earlier stages, the increasing complexity and demands of paramedicine call for a more structured and professional approach to education.
As paramedicine matures, the education paramedics require becomes more rigorous and independent from other medical professions. the need for dedicated educators with expertise in teaching methodology, curriculum development, and educational theory has become evident. The role of educators in this field can no longer be secondary or part-time – it is essential to the profession’s growth. I am proud to be part of this shift, as my own growth mirrors the profession’s journey toward greater professionalism and academic rigour.
The MHSE program has equiped me with the tools to move from being a practitioner to a professional educator. I look forward to continuing to contribute to the advancement of paramedic education in meaningful ways.
Philosophy of Teaching
This course examines critical philosophical foundations underlying teaching and learning in the context of health science education. The course’s emphasis encourages applying philosophical thinking to the unique and specific theoretical and practical demands of professional education in healthcare. The course emphasizes an understanding of teaching as a practical judgment, which views teaching as an ethical and context-sensitive practice of inquiry and interpretation in the choice and application of appropriate pedagogical approaches
Learning and Teaching at the Adult Level
This course explores the scholarship in the areas of adult education, needs assessment, transformative learning, community of practice of adult learning, sociology of higher education, organizational learning, and adult education in the workplace.
Introduction to Methods of Educational Research in the Health Sciences
This course offers an overview of the broad spectrum of quantitative and qualitative research activities, emphasizing the educator as a researcher and knowledge mobilizer. Consequently, it focuses on improving comprehension of published research reports, planning research activities in an educational setting, and translating research findings into the practice environment.Â
Curriculum Studies in the Health Sciences
This course aims to provide an overview of key principles of curriculum design and an opportunity for students to apply these by developing a portion of a curriculum in their individual domains of expertise.
Program Evaluation
This course provides an introduction to program evaluation in health sciences.
Integrating Technology Across the Curriculum
This course provides an understanding of pedagogical principles specific to using technology in instructional settings (e.g., virtual classrooms and simulated clinical environments). It also explores the role of learning theory and theoretical models in designing course activities using educational technology.
Assessment in Health Sciences I
This course focuses on key concepts and principles in educational assessment. It is intended to provide the foundation necessary for understanding how to evaluate and make inferences about students’ knowledge, skills, and competencies.
Assessment in Health Sciences II
This course is focused on specific applications of the basic concepts and principles learned in Assessment and Evaluation Part I. Parts I and II will provide students with a thorough understanding of assessment and will prepare students for both theoretical and applied research.
* Videos created with Create Studio 3
Get in Touch
tmdonnel@ualberta.ca
