Center for Medical Education & Research (CMER)

CMER coordinates clinical education across the PeaceHealth Oregon Network. We place learners in structured, supervised clinical rotations that meet academic and accreditation standards.

We work with accredited programs to define learning objectives, verify supervision, and align patient care activities with each learner’s level of training.

Learners train with attending physicians (MD/DO) and advanced practice clinicians (APCs) in inpatient and outpatient settings. CMER also supports the physicians and clinicians who teach, supervise, and mentor.

CMER also connects clinicians, researchers, and academic institutions to support clinical education and applied research.

What CMER does

• Coordinate clerkships and clinical rotations for approved academic programs
• Match learners with qualified preceptors and clinical sites
• Verify onboarding requirements, credentialing, and program standards
• Provide tools for scheduling, documentation, and evaluation
• Monitor alignment with accreditation standards and patient safety expectations

Academic partners

• Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine
• College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific–Northwest
• Accredited physician associate and nurse practitioner programs

Research partners

• Oregon Heart and Vascular Institute
• SHMC Trauma Services
• University of Oregon

Who we serve

CMER coordinates clinical education for:

• Medical students (MD, DO, DPM)
• Physician associate students (PA‑C)
• Nurse practitioner students (NP, FNP)
• Clinical biomedical and engineering researchers
• Other advanced practice clinician learners when system approved

Clinical experience model

• Supervised, team-based care with attending physicians and APCs
• Progressive responsibility based on training level and program requirements
• Exposure to inpatient, outpatient, and specialty care settings
• Direct participation in patient care within defined scope and supervision

For PeaceHealth clinicians and preceptors

CMER supports teaching clinicians by:

• Coordinating learner placements and schedules
• Providing onboarding requirements and program standards
• Supplying evaluation tools and documentation workflows
• Serving as the central contact for academic program communication

Access and placement limits

• CMER places learners only from accredited, affiliated academic programs
• We do not arrange placements for international medical graduates outside formal program agreements
• We do not accept requests for informal shadowing, observational experiences, or community-based clinical following