Dr. Ronald M. Harden
Postgraduate DeanDirector, Centre for Medical Education
University of Dundee
SCOTLAND
Ronald Harden graduated from the Medical School in Glasgow in 1960. He practiced as a general physician with a special interest in endocrinology. As the clinician responsible for teaching the endocrine system he developed an interest in medical education. He is currently Professor of Medical Education, Teaching Dean, and Director of the Centre for Medical Education at the University of Dundee - a leading international center. This year, he took up, as an additional appointment, the Directorship of the newly established Education Development Unit of the Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education. He is General Secretary and Treasurer of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) and through his stewardship, the Association and its journal, 'Medical Teacher', have flourished with members now in more than fifty different countries.
Professor Harden has a wide interest in undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing medical education and is committed to developing new approaches to curriculum planning and to reaching and learning. Ideas which Professor Harden has pioneered include the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), the SPICES model for curriculum planning, a task-based learning approach to the curriculum and distance learning as a method of continuing medical education. Distance learning programs with which he has been associated have pioneered new educational approaches and individual programs have attracted more than 40,000 participants each. He has written extensively in his areas of interest and has published more than 400 papers in leading journals.
Current areas of particular interest include outcome-based education, curriculum mapping and portfolio assessment. Professor Harden is recognized as a leading international authority and is widely sought as a consultant and lecturer in medical education.
His contribution to excellence in medical education and to research in the area has been recognized by numerous awards including the National Board of Medical Examiners in the USA by the presentation of the prestigious Hubbard Award.
In addition to his interests in medical education he is a keen gardener and has also received awards in this area, appearing on national television programs on the subject.
Institute for International Medical Education.
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