The who and the what of health professional education PhDs: A document analysis

Introduction: Health professional education (HPE) PhDs have the potential to shape PhD graduates and the HPE workforce. Yet, little is known about who completes them and the characteristics of their dissertations. This research explored the characteristics of HPE PhD graduates (who) and the contribution to knowledge (what) of HPE PhDs. Methods: This study utilised document analysis of PhD dissertations and website data. We searched the dissertation repositories of two Australian institutions for HPE PhD dissertations. Dissertations available in digital format were included. To explore post-candidature aspects, we searched LinkedIn, institutional websites and Google Scholar. We combined elements of qualitative and quantitative content analysis to analyse the data. Results: We identified 100 HPE PhD dissertations and website data for 92 graduates. We found considerable diversity in those completing PhDs and their dissertation topics, methods and formats. Graduates were most commonly nurses, doctors or physiotherapists and came from 20 different health professions. Sixty-six dissertations included publications, with a median of three (range 1–9). Only 30% were fully funded, and more than half of the graduates (65%) remain working in HPE. Conclusion: Our findings from two Australian institutions provide a foundation for a broader discussion of the “who” and “what” of HPE PhD studies in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The dearth of funding for HPE PhDs, and the relatively small number of HPE PhD graduates, may limit their potential impact. Future research could examine the rigour of PhD dissertations or provide more detail on the impact of PhDs on graduates and their future careers.