Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Build skills to teach and lead with an academic medicine certificate
2025-2026 GCAM Cohort
View story: TCOM welcomes 2025-26 GCAM fellowsSince 1978, Texas health professions educators have improved their practice of teaching by enrolling in the academic faculty development fellowship. Established in Waco, Texas, and relocated to UNT Health Fort Worth in 2012, the Graduate Certificate in Academic Medicine provides health professions educators the opportunity to benefit from more than 40 years of outstanding alumni, faculty and fellows.
Graduate Certificate in Academic Medicine fellows focus on developing a solid base of core academic skills and a commitment to a career of teaching, scholarly investigation and leadership in health professions education.
The curricular content will include the following topic concentration areas: Clinical Teaching, Curriculum Design, Professional Academic Development and Research/Scholarly Activity Skills.
Program Details
12 credit hours
Two semesters
14 virtual sessions
14 on-campus sessions
Key outcomes
- Collaborate with your peers in intentionally small cohorts that facilitate small group connections.
- Expand your educational foundation and knowledge from sessions with health professions educators and experts.
- Contribute to the discussion understanding of what it takes to be a leader in academic medicine.
- Engage with more than 250 alumni fellows, faculty and mentors who have graduated from the Faculty Development Center in Fort Worth and Waco.
Who should apply
- Health professions educators interested in advancing their careers
- Practicing health care professionals transitioning into academia
- Educators who oversee undergraduate and graduate health professions students
Program format
Courses are offered in a hybrid format with a blend of in-person and both synchronous and asynchronous online activities. Course content is designed in support of culminating real-world projects intended to be immediately useful in the academic setting for the participant. The training schedule has been formatted to optimize the learning experience and minimize the time participants are away from home and their program/department. Both format and content are focused on meeting the needs of today’s academicians and academic institutions.
Curriculum
- AMED 5000 Clinical Teaching 1
- AMED 5200 Curriculum Design 1
- AMED 5400 Professional Academic Development 1
- AMED 5600 Scholarly Activity for Academic Health Professionals 1
- AMED 5000 Clinical Teaching 2
- AMED 5200 Curriculum Design 2
- AMED 5400 Professional Academic Development 2
- AMED 5600 Scholarly Activity for Academic Health Professionals 2
Each course is offered once per academic year and must be completed, in order, during one academic year. Specific training dates are selected each year with consideration of other activities, including state and national meetings, holidays, and the like.
Admissions
Admission requirements
- The applicant must hold a minimum of a graduate degree in a health science-related area from a recognized institution (i.e., DO, MD, EdD, Ph.D., PsyD, PharmD, MSW, MEd, PA, APRN, PT/DPT or equivalent).
- Applicants must have an academic appointment within a health professions education program, medical school department or medical residency program or provide evidence of the intention to secure such a position in the near future.
Application requirements
- Online application completed by June 30
- Two completed online reference forms (one preferably from current supervisor expressing support for participation in the certificate program)
- Personal statement (one double-spaced page) that includes career goals and how completing the certificate program aligns with those goals
- Official transcript(s) sent directly to UNT Health from your institution(s). Electronic transcripts must be provided directly by your institution or a professional transcript service to fdc@unthsc.edu
Texas Family Medicine Faculty Scholarship
Eligible family medicine fellows will receive up to $1,000 for the academic year to be paid during the Spring semester.
To obtain the scholarship, fellows must:
- Complete fall semester in academically good standing
- Have no outstanding fall tuition or course fee balance
- Enroll in the spring semester
Note: Fellows supported by HSC’s Geriatric WE HAIL grant will not be eligible for the GCAM scholarship as grant funds already support their tuition.
Scholarship eligibility
- The fellow is a physician, resident, program director or staff member of an accredited Texas Family Medicine residency program or university department.
- The enrolled fellow must pay via self-pay or third-party contract billing by the institution/university.
- The fellow must be enrolled as a UNT Health student with a current EUID number.