title: Excellence in PhD dissertations in health professions education: Toward standards and expectations.
abstract: The authors of this perspective contribution have served two terms (2014 and 2016) in the Jury of the biennial Best PhD Dissertation Award committee of the Netherlands Association for Medical Education. During this period, the committee reviewed 32 dissertations. Based on discussions among the jury regarding elements of an award winning dissertation and existing literature, we propose seven criteria to evaluate PhD dissertations: size, breadth of research skills exhibited, coherence of studies, relevance to field, validity, style, communicative power and ethics, and impact of the work. We anticipate these may not only assist similar committees but also provide criteria of excellence for future doctoral work in health professions education.
authors.affiliation: a Center for Research and Development of Education , University Medical Center Utrecht , Utrecht , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Olle
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6379-8780
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ten Cate
authors.affiliation: b Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care , Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium.
authors.forename: Anselme
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Derese
authors.affiliation: c Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Durning
authors.affiliation: d Research and Development in Medical Education, Center for Faculty Educators , University of California , San Francisco , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8706-4095
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
mesh_terms: D004212:Academic Dissertations as Topic; D001363:Awards and Prizes; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D010820:Physicians; D012106:Research