First Step in Educational Research: Asking Meaningful Questions

Educational scholarship is crucial for faculty promotion and advancing new practices in medical education. However, emergency medicine faculty often struggle to design meaningful research questions. This interactive session will guide participants in crafting strong research questions and developing effective methodologies. Through engagement with expert education researchers in emergency medicine, attendees will learn key aspects of medical education research, focusing on translating educational work into well-designed research questions. This workshop will provide practical tools to enhance participants' ability to design impactful research studies.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this session, participants should be able to:
  • Describe a clear, meaningful, and feasible research question based on their educational work
  • Frame their research question using FINER criteria (Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, and Relevant.)
  • Be ready to initiate an educational research study

Presenters:

  • Sally A. Santen, MD, PhD
  • Michael Gottlieb, MD
  • Stephen John Cico, MD, MEd
  • Andreia B. Alexander, MD, PhD, MPH (she/her/hers)
  • Jaime Jordan, MD, MA
  • Donna Okoli, MD
Authors

  • Sally A. Santen, MD, PhD

    University of Cincinnati

    Dr Santen is an education researcher and professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati.
  • Michael Gottlieb, MD

    Michael Gottlieb, MD

    Rush University Medical Center

    Michael Gottlieb, MD is the Vice Chair of Research and Director of the Emergency Ultrasound Division at Rush University Medical Center. He is Past-Chair of the ACEP Ultrasound Section and Past-Chair of the AAEM Ultrasound Section. He has authored over 500 peer-reviewed publications and is an Editor for Academic Medicine, The Annals of Emergency Medicine, The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, and Academic Emergency Medicine Education and Training, as well as the Social Media Editor for Academic Emergency Medicine. He is Past-Chair of the CORD Academy for Scholarship, Past-Chair of the SAEM Education Summit, Past-Chair of the CORD Education Committee, Past-Chair of the CORD Best Practices Subcommittee, and a nationally-recognized speaker and educator. His academic interests include medical education, ultrasound, infectious diseases, heart failure, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

  • Stephen J. Cico, MD, MEd

    University of Central Florida College of Medicine

    Dr. Stephen Cico was recruited to lead the UCF-HCA Healthcare GME Consortium as the ACGME Designated Institutional Official (DIO), Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, and Professor of Emergency and Pediatrics. Dr. Cico is a recognized leader in medical education and has published widely and presented both nationally and internationally on medical education topics, including effective didactic and clinical teaching strategies, publishing in the medical education literature.

  • Andreia B. Alexander, MD, PHD, MPH

  • Jaime Jordan, MD, MAEd

    Oregon Health & Science University

    Dr. Jaime Jordan completed an Education Scholarship Fellowship at Harbor-UCLA and is currently the Associate Program Director for the Emergency Medicine Residency at UCLA and Vice Chair of the Acute Care College at the David Geffen School of Medicine. She has lectured extensively at both CORD and SAEM on education and education research related topics. She is an established education researcher with a successful track record and her interests include barriers educators face in performing scholarship, graduate and undergraduate medical education, curriculum design, and faculty development. Additionally, she is a decision editor for AEM Education and Training and a reviewer for multiple education research journals.

  • Donna Okoli, MD

    University of Michigan

    Donna Okoli, MD
    Medical Education Fellow & Clinical Instructor, University of Michigan
    Dr. Donna Okoli is a passionate leader in emergency medicine and medical education with a focus on health equity and leadership development. Currently a Medical Education Fellow at the University of Michigan, she is dedicated to advancing education that addresses health disparities and prepares future physicians to lead transformative change in healthcare.

    Dr. Okoli’s career began as a high school chemistry teacher with Teach for America, where she developed a strong commitment to equity in education. During medical school, she co-founded the Anti-Racism Task Force at Tufts School of Medicine, integrating its work into the school’s 10-year strategic plan. As Chief Resident at Advocate Christ, she revamped the residency curriculum to emphasize trauma-informed care and advanced communication skills.

    Her academic focus is on preparing underrepresented minorities for success in emergency medicine and to fostering leadership in the next generation of physicians. As Assistant Clerkship Director at the University of Michigan and soon to be at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Dr. Okoli works to create inclusive opportunities for students to explore emergency medicine while mentoring them for residency success.

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