Faculty members are also called instructors, teachers, and professors. In graduate education, the professor must have the terminal degree in thediscipline they are called upon to teach. Because anesthesia courses are taught by anesthesia practitioners,the instructors hold the Master of Science degree, or the M.D. if anesthesiologists. All other disciplines aretaught by professors with a Ph.D., Ed.D. or M.D. degree. The faculty members are the backbone of all anesthesia programs, whether in the clinical or classroom setting.

What determines a quality educational program?

There are three factors that determine the quality of any academic program. The most important is the instructor. The instructor must not only know the material, but also be able to teach it so that others can understand it. The instructor must be a real teacher; someone that cares about the teaching and learning process. Wheninstructors move to the classroom, their expertise should now be the art of teaching. This means they care about the student learning the materials, staying on top of the latest information, presenting the materials in an interesting and stimulating manner, and developing assessment tools that help the student understand what they know and where growth is necessary.

The second factor that determines a quality academic program is the curriculum chosen and how it is designed and delivered. The content must be current in thediscipline of study and organized in a manner that is sequential, integrated, intelligible, and challenging. It must be designed so that it can be presented in multiple venues, addressing different ways of knowing. The assessment tools must be designed as learning experiences that inform the instructor and student where more concentrated teaching/learning must be engaged to enable success.

The third factor that determines a quality academic program is the determination of the faculty and the students to make the experience a vibrant and successful one. The admissions process should be used to match school and student. Once the class has been accepted into the program, it should be the goal of every participant to assist and support each other so that individual success is interpreted as the success of the whole. No man is an island; if one student fails, classmates, instructors, and school have failed.

What does accreditation tell me about the quality of a school?

Accreditation is a means of informing the public that the school is qualified to deliver the education advertised, meets the minimum standards agreed to by peer institutions and professional organizations, and sustains and improves the program from year-to-year. The accrediting bodies, whether state, regional or professional organization, are independent groups recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), a federal organization. Accreditation is awarded after meeting the minimum standards established for school operations, for the degree to be conferred, and for the professional knowledge required to practice.