Emeritus Professor Dr. Olle ten Cate Granted Prestigious UCSF Presidential Chair Award for the 2024-2025 Academic Term

July 1, 2024 | By UCSF Department of Surgery

Headshot of Theodorus Jan (Olle) ten Cate, PhDThe Department of Surgery would like to congratulate Dr. Olle ten Cate for being granted the prestigious position of UCSF Presidential Chair for the 2024-2025 academic term. The UCSF Presidential Chair Award is intended to encourage new or interdisciplinary program development or to enhance quality in existing academic programs of the University.

Dr. ten Cate is a world-renowned expert in the realm of medical education, particularly noted for his transformative work on Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) – tasks or actions defined by clinical specialties, pertaining to what graduates of a particular program should execute unsupervised, upon completion of the program. His innovative thinking, in particular around the idea of readiness for entrustment with tasks in health care, catalyzed a global shift in the assessment landscape within professional education. His expertise is more critical than ever, as numerous residency, fellowship, and health profession programs at UCSF are in the process of integrating EPAs into their curricula.

As a UCSF Presidential Chair, the aims of Dr. ten Cate’s engagement are to: 

  1. Advance the EPA conversation throughout all UCSF schools.
  2. Develop a depth of EPA expertise at UCSF through engaging faculty and residents in coursework and in-depth study.
  3. Stimulate establishing a UCSF EPA Center of Expertise,
  4. Facilitate the development of ‘nested ‘EPAs, using the Department of Surgery as a model for design, implementation, and scholarly papers.
     

About Theodorus Jan (Olle) ten Cate, PhD 

With a background of undergraduate medical training and a PhD in social sciences, Dr. ten Cate has four decades of experience with curriculum innovation, educational research, and faculty development in the health professions, locally, nationally, and internationally. He was the founding director of the Center for Research and Development of Education at UMC Utrecht (2005-2017), served as the president of the Netherlands Association for Medical Education (2006-2012), and has published (500+) and presented (500+) widely about advances in health professions education. He has successfully mentored 25 doctoral students for a PhD in health professions education and currently supervises 9 candidates. He has received several national and international honors and awards, including the J.P. Hubbard award of the National Board of Medical Examiners, the Ian R. Hart award for innovation in medical education, the NVMO Han Moll medal, a Dutch Royal Distinction for contributions to medical education, and UMC Utrecht’s Harmen Tiddens Medal.

Dr. ten Cate is a fellow of the American Educational Research Association and teaches in the FAIMER course for Competency-based education.

One of his interests is competency-based education in the health professions, and specifically in the application of entrustable professional activities and entrustment decision making, to improve education to serve the quality and safety of health care practice.