Perspectives on faculty development: aiming for 6/6 by 2020

Health profession education hackathons: a scoping review of current trends and best practices

BACKGROUND

While the concept of hacking in education has gained traction in recent years, there is still much uncertainty surrounding this approach. As such, this scoping review seeks to provide a detailed overview of the existing literature on hacking in health profession education and to explore what we know (and do not know) about this emerging trend.

METHODS

This was a scoping review study using specific keywords conducted on 8 databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, PsycINFO, Education Source, CINAHL) with no time limitation. To find additional relevant studies, we conducted a forward and backward searching strategy by checking the reference lists and citations of the included articles. Studies reporting the concept and application of hacking in education and those articles published in English were included. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened and the data were extracted by 2 authors.

RESULTS

Twenty-two articles were included. The findings are organized into two main categories, including (a) a Description of the interventions and expected outcomes and (b) Aspects of hacking in health profession education.

CONCLUSION

Hacking in health profession education refers to a positive application that has not been explored before as discovering creative and innovative solutions to enhance teaching and learning. This includes implementing new instructional methods, fostering collaboration, and critical thinking to utilize unconventional approaches.

Two for One: Merging Continuing Professional Development and Faculty Development in the CATE Curriculum for Pharmacy Preceptors

Background

Continuing professional development (CPD) and faculty development (FD) are not traditionally combined, although there is evidence that integrating them enhances knowledge acquisition.

Objective

To explore preceptors' perceptions and the effectiveness of CATE (Clinical And Teaching Education), an education model that blends clinical content with the application of that clinical knowledge through a specified teaching technique.

Methods

Thirty-five hospital and community pharmacy preceptors from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, participated in CATE, which consisted of a 2-hour synchronous, online workshop integrating clinical content about depression with the "One-Minute Preceptor" (OMP) teaching skill. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected longitudinally using surveys and semistructured interviews. Participant and process outcomes were explored through descriptive and thematic analysis using a modified Kirkpatrick framework.

Results

Participants valued the incorporation of educational theory and opportunities to practise the OMP using scripted role plays based on the depression-related content. The combination of FD and CPD was appealing, although participants wanted more clarity about their integration. The CATE model positively influenced their approaches to serving as preceptors, and using the OMP helped to reveal learners' knowledge gaps. There was a desire to share the teaching technique with colleagues to provide a more cohesive approach to teaching.

Conclusions

Integrating CPD and FD in a synchronous, online environment was feasible and well received, and it helped to solidify preceptors' roles as educators. Combining CPD and FD represents an effective strategy to build the clinical and educational expertise of preceptors, which in turn has the potential to improve the quality of experiential learning for pharmacy students. This novel method of fostering the pedagogical growth of preceptors could be a model for other health professions.

Pivoting Continuing Professional Development During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Scoping Review of Adaptations and Innovations

INTRODUCTION

Most formal continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities were offered in person until March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional structures of CPD offerings. The authors explored the adaptations and innovations in CPD that were strengthened or newly created during the first 16 months of the pandemic.

METHODS

The objectives of the narrative review were to answer the following questions: (1) what types of adaptations to CPD innovations are described? and (2) what may shape future innovations in CPD? The following databases were searched: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and ERIC to identify the literature published between March 2020 to July 2021. The authors conducted a comprehensive search by including all study types that described adaptations and/or innovations in CPD during the stated pandemic period.

RESULTS

Of the 8295 citations retrieved from databases, 191 satisfied the inclusion criteria. The authors found three categories to describe adaptations to CPD innovations: (1) creation of new online resources, (2) increased use of the existing online platforms/software to deliver CPD, and (3) use of simulation for teaching and learning. Reported advantages and disadvantages associated with these adaptations included logistical, interactional, and capacity building elements. The review identified five potential future CPD innovations: (1) empirical research on the effectiveness of virtual learning; (2) novel roles and ways of thinking; (3) learning from other disciplines beyond medicine; (4) formation of a global perspective; and (5) emerging wellness initiatives.

DISCUSSION

This review provided an overview of the adaptations and innovations that may shape the future of CPD beyond the pandemic.

Clinical reasoning training sessions for health educators-A scoping review

Objectives

Clinical reasoning (CR) is important in health professions, because it ensures patient safety and decreases morbidity. CR should be introduced early in medical school. Health educators play a major role in advocating for the use of CR among students; however, educators themselves can be a barrier to the incorporation of CR; consequently, CR training sessions for educators have been proposed as a potential solution. This scoping review was conducted to highlight studies on CR training among health educators.

Methods

A scoping review was performed to identify studies on CR training sessions for health educators. PubMed, SciVerse Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, EBSCO Medline Complete and ERIC databases were searched with terms including clinical reasoning, diagnostic reasoning, teacher and trainer, to identify articles published between 1991 and 2021.

Results

The initial search yielded 6587 articles; after careful selection, n = 12 articles were included in this scoping review. Most CR training sessions were in the medical field, were conducted in North America, and involved clinical educators. The sessions focused on the fundamentals and steps of CR; biases and debiasing strategies; and learners' difficulties with various teaching formats, such as didactic presentations, facilitated small group sessions with case discussions, roleplay, and use of tools and a mobile application. Educators and students had positive perceptions regarding the conduct and effectiveness of the training sessions.

Conclusions

These training sessions were rated highly; however, longitudinal feedback regarding the application of learnt CR teaching strategies is necessary.

Current Experiences, Expectations, and Future Roles of Faculty Development

Introduction

There is complexity to the success of faculty development (FD) programs at the departmental level, and many of the contributing factors can range from the individual to systems levels. The purpose of this study is to explore faculty perception of what FD encompasses, as well as their past/current experiences with FD, and perceptions regarding the importance, barriers, and facilitators to participating in FD.

Methods

This is a single center, qualitative descriptive study guided through a social constructionist perspective. Faculty from a pediatrics department were asked to participate in 1-h focus groups of 4-5 faculty per group. All sessions were done virtually and audio-recorded for transcription. Inductive reflexive thematic analysis was performed on the transcribed data.

Results

Overall, 5 major themes were identified: (1) purpose/meaning of FD for faculty, (2) perceptions of faculty regarding FD, (3) challenges that faculty encounter with FD, (4) designing and delivering FD to faculty, and (5) comparing FD and continuing professional development (CPD). Some of the main findings included (a) creating flexible and personalized FD curricula, (b) department focusing on bringing the faculty together as a community, and (c) department developing a broader definition of FD that could be used as a reference point in the whole department.

Discussion

Our findings suggest that barriers and challenges for accessing and making the most of FD opportunities still persist. Going forward, departments interested in improving their FD initiatives should focus on individualized, flexible, and technology enhanced FD approaches that motivate participation.

Common content, delivery modes and outcome measures for faculty development programs in nursing and midwifery: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Globally, there is a call for urgent investment in nursing and midwifery education as high-quality education leads to quality care provision. This call for investment includes a 'focus on faculty', that is, development of those who teach. However, challenges in the preparation and development of faculty have been identified and include lack of recognition of ongoing development, limited pathways for career progression, inadequate provision of, or access to, faculty development opportunities and a lack of research evaluating sustained impact of programs.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this review was to identify, synthesise and report on common program content, modes of delivery and evaluation processes of faculty development programs in nursing and/or midwifery.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute guidance. A comprehensive search strategy was developed and conducted in six health and/or education focussed databases. Peer-reviewed articles, published in English in the last decade and with a primary focus on nursing and/or midwifery faculty were included in the review. References lists of included studies were searched and a search to identify relevant grey literature was conducted. Using systematic review software, titles and abstracts were reviewed by two reviewers with a third reviewer used to resolve discrepancies. Data were extracted and recorded, key characteristics were mapped and content analysis used to synthesise, analyse and report findings.

RESULTS

Seventeen articles were included in the review and identified common content provided in nursing and midwifery faculty development programs. The predominant content was approaches for learning and teaching. Other common content was leadership, research and assessment practices. Modes for program delivery were most often a blend of online and face-to-face. Program evaluation was reliant on participants' self-reported measures of satisfaction and confidence and did not examine impact over time.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Commonalities in program content primarily focussed on learning and teaching, but also included content linked to expected professional nursing and midwifery educator competencies such as leadership and research. However, a lack of content on the key faculty activity of curriculum design was noted and should be addressed in future program development. In addition, there was a lack of evaluation on the impact of different modes of delivery. Furthermore, an over-reliance on self-reported evaluation measures and a lack of longitudinal evaluation of impact on education practice and on student experience and outcomes. Future research should include evaluation of modes of delivery and impact on faculty practice over a sustained period.

A model for design of online health professions education faculty development courses in sub-Saharan Africa

The design of faculty development courses requires a contextually aware theoretical foundation. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the feasibility of a specific conjecture map as a model for designing online health professions education faculty development courses in sub-Saharan Africa through a heuristic evaluation approach. The authors hypothesise that using heuristic evaluation strengthens an educational model's theoretical basis and feasibility.Twenty-five health professions educators from nine sub-Saharan African countries participated in this multi-phased study. In the first phase, the participants completed a survey evaluating the model and the accompanying author-generated heuristics. Then, participants' recommendations were used to make revisions. In the subsequent phase, participants reviewed these revisions and commented on the feasibility of the model within their local context.All six heuristics were revised following the initial phase, where 80 problems had been identified. Upon revision, the model was deemed feasible by all except one participant. There was a strong relationship and inter-rater agreement of feasibility between 0.84 and 0.95 regarding the model's practicality, demand, acceptability, and adaptability. Revisions to the final model and guidance documents incorporated all changes the participants recommended, confirming the model's feasibility.Theoretical models are often developed through a top-down approach, omitting the practice-based considerations that could change the formulation of the model. This study demonstrates the convergence of a theoretical and process model with theoretical, expert and end-user data triangulation. Further research is needed to test this empirically developed model.

Learning while leading: a realist evaluation of an academic leadership programme

INTRODUCTION

Many academic health centres and universities have implemented leadership development programmes; however, their potential impact in different contexts in healthcare remains unknown. We assessed the impact of an academic leadership development programme on the self-reported leadership activities of faculty leaders in their respective work contexts.

METHODS

Ten faculty leaders who participated in a 10-month leadership development programme between 2017 and 2020 were interviewed. The realist evaluation approach was used to guide deductive content analysis, allowing concepts related to what works for whom, why and when to emerge from the data.

RESULTS

Faculty leaders benefited in different ways depending on the organisational context (eg, culture) in which they reside and their individual contexts (eg, personal aspirations as a leader). Faculty leaders who have minimal mentorship in their leadership role gained an increased sense of community and belongingness with peer leaders and received validation in their personal leadership approach from the programme. Faculty leaders with accessible mentors were more likely than their peers to apply the knowledge they learnt to their work settings. Prolonged engagement among faculty leaders in the 10-month programme fostered continuity of learning and peer support that extended beyond programme completion.

CONCLUSIONS

This academic leadership programme included participation of faculty leaders in different contexts, resulted in varying impacts on participants' learning outcomes, leader self-efficacy and application of acquired knowledge. Faculty administrators should look for programmes with a multitude of learning interfaces to extract knowledge, hone leadership skills and build networks.

Education Theory Made Practical: Creating open educational resources via an apprenticeship model

Introduction

Clinical faculty may have limited knowledge of education theories and best practices in health professions education. Many faculty development programs focus on passive learning with limited application to practice. There is a need for more active engagement for early career educators.

Methods

We created an apprenticeship-based electronic book series focused on translating education theories into practical applications for clinician educators. Chapters were authored by teams of two to four geographically separated early career educators, who were tasked with explaining an education theory and relating it to their educational practice. The chapters underwent internal peer review, followed by open peer review as a blog post and eventual publication. Usage data were collected, and surveys were sent to authors and end-users.

Results

Six volumes (60 total chapters) have been created to date by 180 unique authors and 17 editors over a 6-year period. There have been 65,571 total blog page views and 17,180 total book downloads across the five published volumes. Authors reported an increase in their perceived knowledge (pre 2.6 ± 1.7 vs. post 7.2 ± 1.1, mean difference 4.5/9.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.0-5.0, p < 0.001) after writing their chapter. Authors also reported career benefits including authorship for academic advancement/promotion and developing an area of education theory expertise. End-users also reported a mean increase in their perceived knowledge (pre 4.4 ± 2.5 vs. post 7.3 ± 1.4, mean difference 2.9/9.0, 95% CI 2.1-3.8, p < 0.001) after reading a chapter.

Conclusion

The Education Theory Made Practical electronic book series represents a proof of concept for an apprenticeship-based model to teach education theory, while also creating scholarship and open access resources for the broader community.

Digital Transformation of Faculty Development: Responding and Supporting Academia During Disruptions Caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

INTRODUCTION

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic disrupted the current practices for teaching and learning in medical and health professions education, creating challenges and opportunities for rapid transition. The authors describe how McMaster University's Program for Faculty Development (MacPFD) responded to this disruption by engaging in a digital transformation.

METHODS

The digital transformation process of MacPFD was mapped to the conceptual framework of digital transformation: Vial's building blocks of the framework. A new website was launched to host and disseminate the content. Subsequently, both the website and the content were promoted using social media tools. Content generation, Google Analytics, event registrations, and Zoom webinar attendance records were data sources for the results. Analysis of the data was based on the reach component of the RE-AIM framework.

RESULTS

Six-month data range results were reported as producer-centered and user-centered outcomes. The former consisted of 54 resources from diverse content authors, whereas the latter received 33,045 page views from 26,031 unique users from 89 countries. Live webinar events had 1484 registrants, with 312 (21%) being guests from external institutions. Before the coronavirus disease 2019 disruption, MacPFD was a local program to support its faculty.

DISCUSSION

The MacPFD's digital transformation shows a clear transition to a new "glocal" approach: an expanded global reach while still tending to our local development needs of the home institution's faculty members.

What works in appraisal meetings for newly graduated doctors? - and what doesn't?

BACKGROUND

In Denmark a national formal advisory program (NFAP) is mandatory in Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME). According to this, an educational advisor is assigned to each doctor in every clinical rotation to guide and oversee the work and learning progress of the trainee. This study explores why newly graduated trainees evaluated the appraisal meetings in the advisory program as either beneficial (successes) or not beneficial (non-successes).

METHODS

Inspired by the Success Case Method, a survey was conducted among all 129 doctors employed in their first six-month clinical rotation of postgraduate medical education (PGY1) in the Central Denmark Region. A cluster analysis resulted in a group with eight successes respectively seven non-successes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six successes and five non-successes.

RESULTS

In contrast to non-successes, the successes had longer appraisal meetings and their advisor introduced them to purpose and process of meetings including use of the personal learning plan. Successes received feedback on clinical skills, overall global performance and career plans. The successes perceived their advisors as prepared, skilled and motivated and the advisor acted as a contact person. To the successes, the appraisal meetings fostered clarification of and reflections on educational goals, progress and career as well as self-confidence and a sense of security.

CONCLUSION

Success with appraisal meetings seemed to depend on advisor's skills and motivation including willingness to prioritize time for this task. The results from this study indicate the importance of faculty development. It also raises the question if all doctors should serve as advisors or if this task should be assigned to the most motivated candidates.

Faculty development using a virtual community of practice: Three-year outcomes of the Academic Life in Emergency Medicine Faculty Incubator program

INTRODUCTION

The Academic Life in Emergency Medicine (ALiEM) Faculty Incubator program is a longitudinal, 1-year, virtual faculty development program for early- and mid-career faculty members that crosses specialties and institutions. This study sought to evaluate the outcomes among 3 years of participants.

METHODS

This cross-sectional survey study evaluated postcourse and 1-year outcomes from three graduated classes of the ALiEM Faculty Incubator program. The program evaluation survey was designed to collect outcomes across multiple Kirkpatrick levels using pre/post surveys and tracking of abstracts, publications, speaking opportunities, new leadership positions, and new curricula.

RESULTS

Over 3 years, 89 clinician educators participated in the program. Of those, 59 (66%) completed the initial survey and 33 (37%) completed the 1-year survey. Participants reported a significant increase in knowledge (4.1/9.0 vs. 7.0/9.0). The number of abstracts, publications, and invited presentations significantly increased after course completion and continued postcourse. A total of 37 of 59 (62.7%) developed a new curriculum during the course and 19 of 33 (57.6%) developed another new curriculum after the course. A total of 29 of 59 (49.2%) began a new leadership position upon course completion with 15 of 33 (45.5%) beginning another new leadership position 1 year later.

DISCUSSION

The ALiEM Faculty Incubator program demonstrated an increase in perceived knowledge and documented academic productivity among early- and mid-career medical educators.

Uncovering the ecology of clinical education: a dramaturgical study of informal learning in clinical teams

Off-the-job faculty development for clinical teachers has been blighted by poor attendance, unsatisfactory sustainability, and weak impact. The faculty development literature has attributed these problems to the marginalisation of the clinical teacher role in host institutions. By focusing on macro-organisational factors, faculty development is ignoring the how clinical teachers are shaped by their everyday participation in micro-organisations such as clinical teams. We set out to explore how the roles of clinical teacher and graduate learner are co-constructed in the context of everyday work in clinical teams. Using an ethnographic study design we carried out marginal participant observation of four different hospital clinical teams. We assembled a dataset comprising field notes, participant interviews, images, and video, which captured day-to-day working and learning encounters between team members. We applied the dramaturgical sensitising concepts of impression management and face work to a thematic analysis of the dataset. We found that learning in clinical teams was largely informal. Clinical teachers modelled, but rarely articulated, an implicit curriculum of norms, standards and expectations. Trainees sought to establish legitimacy and credibility for themselves by creating impressions of being able to recognise and reproduce lead clinicians' standards. Teachers and trainees colluded in using face work strategies to sustain favourable impressions but, in so doing, diminished learning opportunities and undermined educational dialogue. These finding suggest that there is a complex interrelationship between membership of clinical teams and clinical learning. The implication for faculty development is that it needs to move beyond its current emphasis on the structuring effects of institutional context to a deeper consideration of how teacher and learner roles are co-constructed in clinical teams.

Sustaining a Collegewide Teaching Academy as a Community: 10 Years of Experience With the Master Teacher Program at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine

On the basis of strategic initiatives and an evolving focus on educational program enhancement, faculty and staff members designed a structured program to provide leadership and resources for improving instruction and disseminating educational scholarship in a veterinary college. The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine Master Teacher Program was conceptualized in the teaching academy model as a forum for professional development and dialogue. A small leadership team worked with other faculty to develop the program proposal, including its mission, vision, values, and initial goals. Programming includes monthly meetings to discuss a range of policy, theoretical, and practical topics, as well as periodic workshops focused on current strategic initiatives or hot topics. Ten years later, the program continues to successfully connect educators and have an impact on the college and profession. Attendance has grown steadily; feedback has been positive. Participants rate the program's overall value highly, particularly its impact on their teaching, the opportunity to stay current in educational topics, and the opportunity to learn from colleagues. Discussions within the program have provided valuable input for college policy and practices. Keys to sustained success have included a historical culture emphasizing the teaching mission, alignment with college goals, consistency in leadership and programming, periodic revisions and rebranding, and attention to new faculty and staff needs. This article describes the development, growth, and perceived impact of the program and emphasizes lessons learned and actions taken to sustain its success without additional personnel and at minimal cost.

Faculty development in medical education: an environmental scan in countries within the Asia pacific region

PURPOSE

In recent years, faculty development (FD) research is more noticeable within an inter-professional context and in allied health education. However, there is a paucity of published literature on FD medical education programs in Asia. With the formation of the Asia Pacific Medical Education Network (APME-Net) in 2015, a scoping review of an environmental scan of FD medical education programs in main institutions in South East Asia and Australia in 2018 was conducted.

METHODS

A survey was developed to collect data on FD in medical education after several rounds of discussion with APME-Net members. The representatives from nine countries in Asia and Australia were invited to partner in this research project. They sent the questionnaire to the Dean of all different medical schools after ethical clearance. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Only institutions in four countries responded to the questionnaire. The medical/health professions education center/department/unit has been established in most educational institutions in these countries. These centers/departments/units mostly carry out FD programs to improve the teaching and learning skills of trained participants, particularly clinical teachers via workshops and seminars. Staffing issues and participant buy-in are the current key priorities of the center/department/unit in terms of FD. Lastly, research related FD program has not been well-supported in these countries, hence, the lack of publication in this area.

CONCLUSION

Collaboration between countries to address key areas of interest and develop more standardized and productive FD medical education is required especially in research.

Sustained effects of faculty leadership development modules for clinical instructors of core competences education in Taiwan: a four-year explanatory case study

BACKGROUND

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competencies (CC) in general medicine-based primary care are essential for junior medical trainees. In this country, a regular faculty development (FD) program aimed at training faculty in instructing (teaching and assessing) these CC had operated. However, leadership was not emphasized. In a new intervention module, the roles and associated responsibilities of clinical instructors to conduct, design, and lead CC-based education were emphasis.

AIMS

This follow-up explanatory case study compares the effectiveness of intervention module with that of the previous regular module.

METHODS

The regular group (n = 28) comprised clinical instructors who participated in the FD module during the 2013-2014 year while the intervention group (n = 28) was composed of 2015-2016 participants. Prior to the formal (hands-on) training, participants in the intervention group were asked to study the online materials of the regular module. These participants then received a 30-h hands-on training in conducting, designing, and leading skills. Finally, they prepared a 10-h reflective end-of-module presentation of their real-world practices.

RESULTS

Following the training, a higher degree improvement in participants self-reported familiarity with CC education, self-confidence in their ability to deliver CC education and sustained involve CC education were noted among the intervention FD group, compared with the regular FD group. In the intervention group, senior academicians (associate and full professor) are more substantially involved in designing and leading CC-based courses than junior academicians (lecturers and assistant professors). Among non-teaching award winners of in the intervention FD group, the follow-up degree of sustained involvement in delivering, designing and leading CC-based courses was significantly higher than that of the regular group.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that leadership training in the intervention FD modules substantially motivated clinical instructors to become leaders in CC education.

Applying systems approach for bridging education, research, and patient care in a health sciences university

Systems approach provides a logical and scientific basis for explaining the functioning of a system in a holistic manner. The health sciences university is a system with its three major operations – education, research, and patient care, which can be conceived as inputs, process, and output, respectively. The system is aided by a feedback loop to inform and correct the system. Systems thinking enable us to identify the deficiencies existing in each of the components so that appropriate remedial action can be taken. In this article, we have identified deficiencies in the health sciences system. Further, we have suggested a five-point formula to achieve connection among education, research, and patient care. We need to Form consortia and networks to create a mass movement, Uniform regulations to remove bottlenecks, Reform curricula to make them credit linked and competency based, Inform all through a faculty development initiative, and finally, Transform the system by setting examples and demonstrating success. The initiative taken by the Medical Council of India in introducing a competency-based curriculum for MBBS, and the revised accreditation manual introduced by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council can provide a lot of opportunities to explore the potentiality educational research to answer many questions that can help us in connecting research with education and patient care.

Using Bourdieu to explore graduate attributes in two online Master's programmes

Within the expansion of postgraduate educational qualifications for health professionals, graduate attributes have become important markers of outcomes and value. However, it is not clear how or when graduate attributes develop, or how they are applied in professional practice after graduation. We interviewed 17 graduates from two online Master's programmes to explore their perceptions of how postgraduate study had influenced their practice and professional identity. Our thematic analysis produced three main themes (academic voice, infectious curiosity, and expanding worldview) which reflected changes in the participants' confidence, attitude, perspective, and agency across professional and academic settings. We then conducted a secondary phase of analysis using Bourdieu's concepts of 'field', 'capital', and 'habitus'. While graduate attributes have been conceptualised as the context-independent acquisition of traits that can be employed by individuals, Bourdieu's framework highlights their relational qualities: they are caught up in the cultural history and context of the student/professional, the reputation of the awarding institution, and the graduate's location within a network of professional peers.

Visualizing faculty development impact: A social network analysis

Faculty development programs have tended to focus on low levels of evaluation such as participant satisfaction rather than assess the actual changes that training has brought about in the workplace. This has prompted scholars to suggest using social network analysis as a means to provide a more rigorous method of evaluating the impact of faculty development. To test the feasibility of such a suggestion, we used the social network analysis concepts of social cohesion to assess the impact of a year-long fellowship program conducted by Duke-NUS Medical School's Academic Medicine Education Institute (AM·EI). Specifically, we used the key metrics of connectedness and betweenness centrality to assess the changes in the AM·EI fellows' information and collaboration networks post-fellowship. We invited three cohorts of AM·EI fellows (2013-2016; n = 74) to participate in a branched survey. The response rate was 64%; n = 47. Results showed that in terms of connectedness, the largest connected set more than doubled in size, and pair level reachability grew threefold. Betweenness centrality among the AM·EI fellows also increased, with more individuals reporting that they sought advice from the fellows as well as trusted the advice the fellows provided. In sum, this study suggests that it is indeed viable to use social network analysis to identify changes in social cohesion. As such, social network analysis serves as another tool for scholars to use to assess the impact of their faculty development efforts.

Long-term experiences of being a simulation-educator: A multinational interview study

The long-term reactions, experiences and reflections of simulation educators have not been explored. In a semistructured, exploratory interview study, the experiences of simulation educators in either Advanced Life Support (ALS) or Crisis Resource Management (CRM) courses in Denmark, Norway and the USA were analyzed. Three overarching themes were identified: (1) general reflections on simulation-based teaching, (2) transfer of knowledge and skills from the simulation setting to clinical settings and (3) more overarching transformations in simulation educators, simulation participants, and the healthcare system. Where ALS was deemed as high on the efficiency dimension of learning, CRM courses were described as high on the innovation dimension. General reflections, transfer and transformations described were related to differences in course principles. The results are relevant for career planning, faculty development and understanding simulation as social practice.

Initiating communities of practice for teaching and education scholarship in hospital settings: a multi-site case study

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background and Rationale: Numerous calls have been made for faculty development programming to better address faculty members' ongoing needs, to situate training strategies within the workplace and to utilize social learning perspectives, communities of practice in particular. Reviews have pointed to a paucity of published qualitative research on faculty development communities of practice and, more generally, on the processes of change and the organizational contexts in which interventions are implemented. Intervention: An initiative was started to instigate education scholarship communities of practice in three highly distinct academic health care settings, to address faculty members' ongoing needs for community and, ultimately, to serve as a source of support for the application of new knowledge to routine education activities. A research project was launched jointly to describe the process and progress of attempting to develop communities of practice at the three sites and to identify common and unique influences on sites' progress. Data Collection: Phone interviews were conducted with group facilitators from each site following group meetings, for the duration of the initiative. Analysis: Multiple case study methodology was employed to describe and compare the processes and progress of attempting to initiate communities of practice at the three sites and to identify obstacles related to organizational context. Findings: All three sites made limited progress in developing a shared domain of interest and a shared history of regular interaction (i.e. regular meetings). Participants identified different professional backgrounds and different education practices as challenges to establishing shared interest. More prominently, they identified busy schedules, geographic barriers, and absence of protected time as obstacles to regular and consistent meetings. Discussion: Difficulty establishing shared interest and shared history are considered in light of the unclear meaning of "education scholarship", cognitive and ethical boundaries between professions, and time constraints within modern, highly complex academic healthcare settings. Conclusions: While CoPs may appeal as self-sustaining, low-cost alternatives to formal programming, limited progress is possible without institutional investment and allowance commensurate with the implied scope and challenges.

Process-oriented evaluation of an international faculty development program for Asian developing countries: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Non-English-speaking developing countries in Southeast Asia have been provided only limited opportunities for faculty development in the education of health professions. Although there exist a few programs that have been shown to be effective, they are frequently presented with few explanations on how and why the programs work due to their outcome-oriented nature. This study explores the process of the Lee Jong-Wook Fellowship for Health Professional Education, an international faculty development program designed for capacity building of educators of health professions in Southeast Asian developing countries.

METHODS

Fellows were from Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. Qualitative data were collected from two types of semi-structured interviews - group and individual. Thematic analysis was conducted to explore the factors related to the effectiveness of the program, framed by four components of faculty development, which included context, facilitators, program, and participants.

RESULTS

From the thematic analysis, the authors identified a total of 12 themes in the four components of faculty development. In the context domain, the resource-poor setting, a culture that puts emphasis on hierarchy and seniority, and educational environment depending on individual commitment rather than broad consensus emerged as key factors. In the facilitators domain, their teaching methods and materials, mutual understanding between teacher and learner, and collaboration between facilitators mainly influenced the learning during the fellowship. In the program domain, the key advantages of the fellowship program were its applicability to the workplace of the fellows and enough allowed time for practice and reflection. Finally, in the participants domain, Fellows valued their heterogeneity of composition and recognized cognitive as well as non-cognitive attributes of the participants as essential.

CONCLUSIONS

This process-oriented evaluation reveals the diverse factors that contributed to achieving the intended outcomes of the fellowship. Although much evidence from best practices in faculty development are still valid, the findings suggest that the selection strategies, learning environment, and English communication should be given more consideration when organizing a program targeting these people and cultures. A comprehensive understanding of the process would contribute to developing tailored strategies for educators of health professions in developing countries in similar settings.

The Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE) Standards of Best Practice (SOBP)

In this paper, we define the Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE) Standards of Best Practice (SOBP) for those working with human role players who interact with learners in a wide range of experiential learning and assessment contexts. These human role players are variously described by such terms as standardized/simulated patients or simulated participants (SP or SPs). ASPE is a global organization whose mission is to share advances in SP-based pedagogy, assessment, research, and scholarship as well as support the professional development of its members. The SOBP are intended to be used in conjunction with the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) Standards of Best Practice: Simulation^SM, which address broader simulation practices. We begin by providing a rationale for the creation of the ASPE SOBP, noting that with the increasing use of simulation in healthcare training, it is incumbent on ASPE to establish SOBP that ensure the growth, integrity, and safe application of SP-based educational endeavors. We then describe the three and a half year process through which these standards were developed by a consensus of international experts in the field. Key terms used throughout the document are defined. Five underlying values inform the SOBP: safety, quality, professionalism, accountability, and collaboration. Finally, we describe five domains of best practice: safe work environment; case development; SP training for role portrayal, feedback, and completion of assessment instruments; program management; and professional development. Each domain is divided into principles with accompanying key practices that provide clear and practical guidelines for achieving desired outcomes and creating simulations that are safe for all stakeholders. Failure to follow the ASPE SOBP could compromise the safety of participants and the effectiveness of a simulation session. Care has been taken to make these guidelines precise yet flexible enough to address the diversity of varying contexts of SP practice. As a living document, these SOBP will be reviewed and modified periodically under the direction of the ASPE Standards of Practice Committee as SP methodology grows and adapts to evolving simulation practices.

Institutional factors affecting participation in national faculty development programs: a nation-wide investigation of medical schools

BACKGROUND

Medical schools have used faculty development programs as an essential means to improve the instruction of faculty members. Thus far, however, participating in such programs has been largely voluntary for individuals even though a certain degree of participation is required to achieve practical effectiveness. In addition, the learning behaviors of faculty members are known to be influenced by organizational contexts such as a hidden curriculum. Therefore, this study explored the organizational characteristics of medical schools affecting attendance at faculty development programs.

METHODS

Forty medical schools in South Korea were included in this study. In total, 1,667 faculty members attended the faculty development programs at the National Teacher Training Center for Health Personnel between 2007 and 2015. For independent variables, information on the basic characteristics and the educational states was collected from all the medical schools. Themes were identified from their educational goals and objectives by inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

The number of nine-year cumulative attendees from medical schools ranged from 8 to 104. The basic characteristics of the medical schools had little influence on faculty development program attendance, while several themes in the educational goals and objectives, including "cooperation", "serving various societies", and "dealing with a changing future" showed a significant difference in participation. The number of full-time faculty showed a significant positive correlation when it was smaller than the median, and the proportion of alumni faculty showed a significant negative correlation when it was higher than 50%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study adds to existing knowledge on factors affecting attendance at faculty development programs by identifying related institutional factors that influence attendance. While the variations depending on the basic characteristics were minimal, the organizational environment surrounding medical education significantly contributed to attendance. Addressing institutional as well as individual factors could contribute to improving participation by faculty members in faculty development programs.

Creating a medical education enterprise: leveling the playing fields of medical education vs. medical science research within core missions

BACKGROUND

Unlike publications of medical science research that are more readily rewarded, clinician-educators' scholarly achievements are more nebulous and under-recognized.

OBJECTIVE

Create an education enterprise that empowers clinician-educators to engage in a broad range of scholarly activities and produce educational scholarship using strategic approaches to level the playing fields within an organization.

DESIGN

The authors analyzed the advantages and disadvantages experienced by medical science researchers vs. clinician educators using Bolman and Deal's (B&D) four frames of organization (structural, human resource, political, symbolic). The authors then identified organizational approaches and activities that align with each B&D frame and proposed practical strategies to empower clinician-educators in their scholarly endeavors.

RESULTS

Our medical education enterprise enhanced the structural frame by creating a decentralized medical education unit, incorporated the human resource component with an endowed chair to support faculty development, leveraged the political model by providing grant supports and expanding venues for scholarship, and enhanced the symbolic frame by endorsing the value of education and public recognition from leaderships. In five years, we saw an increased number of faculty interested in becoming clinician-educators, had an increased number of faculty winning Educational Awards for Excellence and delivering conference presentations, and received 12 of the 15 college-wide awards for educational scholarship. These satisfactory trends reflect early success of our educational enterprise.

CONCLUSIONS

B&D's organizational frames can be used to identify strategies for addressing the pressing need to promote and recognize clinician-educators' scholarship. We realize that our situation is unique in several respects, but this approach is flexible within an institution and transferable to any other institution and its medical education program.

ABBREVIATIONS

B&D: Bolman and Deal; CRIS: Center for Research, Innovation, and Scholarship; OOR: Office of Research.

Factors shaping how clinical educators use their educational knowledge and skills in the clinical workplace: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

In order to consolidate their educational knowledge and skills and develop their educational role, many clinicians undertake professional development in clinical education and supervision. It is well established that these educationally-focussed professional development activities have a positive impact. However, it is less clear what factors within the clinical workplace can shape how health professionals may use and apply their educational knowledge and skills and undertake their educational role. Looking through the lens of workplace affordances, this paper draws attention to the contextual, personal and interactional factors that impact on how clinical educators integrate their educational knowledge and skills into the practice setting, and undertake their educational role.

METHODS

Data were gathered via a survey of 387 clinical educators and semi-structured interviews with 12 clinical educators and 6 workplace managers. In this paper, we focus on analysing and reporting the qualitative data gathered in this study. This qualitative data were subject to a thematic analysis and guided by theoretical constructs related to workplace affordances.

RESULTS

Three key themes were identified including contextual, personal and interactional factors. Contextual elements referred to organisational structures and systems that impact on participants' educational role, how participants' clinical education role was articulated and configured within the organisation, and how the organisation shaped the educational opportunities available to clinicians. Personal factors encompassed clinicians' personal motivations and goals to teach and be involved in education, develop their own educational skills and function as a role model for students. Interactional factors referred to the professional interactions and networks through which clinicians shared their educational knowledge and skills and further consolidated their profile as educational advocates in their workplace.

CONCLUSIONS

There are a number of contextual, personal and interactional factors which interrelate in complex ways and impact on how clinical educators use their educational knowledge and skills and undertake their educational role in the clinical setting. To fully realise the potential of and fulfil the requirements of their educational role, clinical educators need to be provided appropriate experiential and meaningful workplace opportunities and the guidance to use, share and reflect on their educational knowledge and skills in the clinical workplace.

Needs assessment for development of 6for6: Longitudinal research skills program tailored to rural and remote family physicians

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

Rural and remote family physicians (RRFPs) face greater barriers to research engagement than their urban colleagues and have access to fewer faculty development programs (FDPs) to foster their research skills.

OBJECTIVE OF PROGRAM

To identify and prioritize skills and services that RRFPs need to engage in research.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Memorial University of Newfoundland in St John's used a needs assessment as the foundation for developing an FDP for RRFPs. The assessment comprised a systematic literature review and environmental scan, key informant interviews (n = 10), a focus group with RRFPs (n = 15), expert group meetings (n = 2), and needs assessment surveys (n = 19).

CONCLUSION

The assessment identified barriers to RRFPs engaging in research, priority considerations for the development of a research FDP for RRFPs, and research areas to be included in the program curriculum. This information was used to inform phases 2 and 3 of program development, which are further discussed in a companion article.

How do postgraduate qualifications in medical education impact on health professionals?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The number of degree-awarding programmes in medical education is steadily increasing. Despite the popularity and extensive investment in these courses, there is little research into their impact. This study investigated the perceived impact of an internationally-renowned postgraduate programme in medical education on health professionals' development as educators.

METHODS

An online survey of the 2008-12 graduates from the Centre for Medical Education, University of Dundee was carried out. Their self-reported shifts in various educational competencies and scholarship activities were analysed using non-parametric statistics. Qualitative data were also collected and analysed to add depth to the quantitative findings.

RESULTS

Of the 504 graduates who received the online questionnaire 224 responded. Participants reported that a qualification in medical education had significantly (p < 0.001) improved their professional educational practices and engagement in scholarly activities. Masters graduates reported greater impact compared to Certificate graduates on all items, including ability to facilitate curriculum reforms, and in assessment and feedback practices. Masters graduates also reported more engagement in scholarship activities, with significantly greater contributions to journals. These qualifications equally benefited all participants regardless of age. International graduates reported greater impact of the qualification than their UK counterparts.

CONCLUSION

A postgraduate medical education programme can significantly impact on the practices and behaviours of health professionals in education, improving self-efficacy and instilling an increased sense of belonging to the educational community.

Prediction of junior faculty success in biomedical research: comparison of metrics and effects of mentoring programs

Measuring and predicting the success of junior faculty is of considerable interest to faculty, academic institutions, funding agencies and faculty development and mentoring programs. Various metrics have been proposed to evaluate and predict research success and impact, such as the h-index, and modifications of this index, but they have not been evaluated and validated side-by-side in a rigorous empirical study. Our study provides a retrospective analysis of how well bibliographic metrics and formulas (numbers of total, first- and co-authored papers in the PubMed database, numbers of papers in high-impact journals) would have predicted the success of biomedical investigators (n = 40) affiliated with the University of Nevada, Reno, prior to, and after completion of significant mentoring and research support (through funded Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence, COBREs), or lack thereof (unfunded COBREs), in 2000–2014. The h-index and similar indices had little prognostic value. Publishing as mid- or even first author in only one high-impact journal was poorly correlated with future success. Remarkably, junior investigators with >6 first-author papers within 10 years were significantly (p < 0.0001) more likely (93%) to succeed than those with ≤6 first-author papers (4%), regardless of the journal’s impact factor. The benefit of COBRE-support increased the success rate of junior faculty approximately 3-fold, from 15% to 47%. Our work defines a previously neglected set of metrics that predicted the success of junior faculty with high fidelity—thus defining the pool of faculty that will benefit the most from faculty development programs such as COBREs.

Twelve tips for developing, implementing, and sustaining medical education fellowship programs: Building on new trends and solid foundations

Medical education fellowship programs (MEFPs) are a form of faculty development contributing to an organization's educational mission and participants' career development. Building an MEFP requires a systematic design, implementation, and evaluation approach which aligns institutional and individual faculty goals. Implementing an MEFP requires a team of committed individuals who provide expertise, guidance, and mentoring. Qualified MEFP directors should utilize instructional methods that promote individual and institutional short and long term growth. Directors must balance the use of traditional design, implementation, and evaluation methodologies with advancing trends that may support or threaten the acceptability and sustainability of the program. Drawing on the expertise of 28 MEFP directors, we provide twelve tips as a guide to those implementing, sustaining, and/or growing a successful MEFP whose value is demonstrated by its impacts on participants, learners, patients, teaching faculty, institutions, the greater medical education community, and the population's health.

German MedicalTeachingNetwork (MDN) implementing national standards for teacher training

BACKGROUND

An increasing demand for proof of professionalism in higher education strives for quality assurance (QA) and improvement in medical education. A wide range of teacher trainings is available to medical staff in Germany. Cross-institutional approval of individual certificates is usually a difficult and time consuming task for institutions. In case of non-acceptance it may hinder medical teachers in their professional mobility.

AIM

The faculties of medicine aimed to develop a comprehensive national framework, to promote standards for formal faculty development programmes across institutions and to foster professionalization of medical teaching.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Addressing the above challenges in a joint approach, the faculties set up the national MedicalTeacherNetwork (MDN). Great importance is attributed to work out nationally concerted standards for faculty development and an agreed-upon quality control process across Germany. Medical teachers benefit from these advantages due to portability of faculty development credentials from one faculty of medicine to another within the MDN system.

CONCLUSION

The report outlines the process of setting up the MDN and the national faculty development programme in Germany. Success factors, strengths and limitations are discussed from an institutional, individual and general perspective. Faculties engaged in similar developments might be encouraged to transfer the MDN concept to their countries.

Faculty development initiatives to advance research literacy and evidence-based practice at CAM academic institutions

OBJECTIVES

To present the varied approaches of 9 complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) institutions (all grantees of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) used to develop faculty expertise in research literacy and evidence-based practice (EBP) in order to integrate these concepts into CAM curricula.

DESIGN

A survey to elicit information on the faculty development initiatives was administered via e-mail to the 9 program directors. All 9 completed the survey, and 8 grantees provided narrative summaries of faculty training outcomes.

RESULTS

The grantees found the following strategies for implementing their programs most useful: assess needs, develop and adopt research literacy and EBP competencies, target early adopters and change leaders, employ best practices in teaching and education, provide meaningful incentives, capitalize on resources provided by grant partners, provide external training opportunities, and garner support from institutional leadership. Instructional approaches varied considerably across grantees. The most common were workshops, online resources, in-person short courses, and in-depth seminar series developed by the grantees. Many also sent faculty to intensive multiday extramural training programs. Program evaluation included measuring participation rates and satisfaction and the integration of research literacy and EBP learning objectives throughout the academic curricula. Most grantees measured longitudinal changes in beliefs, attitudes, opinions, and competencies with repeated faculty surveys.

CONCLUSIONS

A common need across all 9 CAM grantee institutions was foundational training for faculty in research literacy and EBP. Therefore, each grantee institution developed and implemented a faculty development program. In developing the framework for their programs, grantees used strategies that were viewed critical for success, including making them multifaceted and unique to their specific institutional needs. These strategies, in conjunction with the grantees' instructional approaches, can be of practical use in other CAM and non-CAM academic environments considering the introduction of research literacy and EBP competencies into their curricula.

What do faculties need most in a faculty development program?

PURPOSE

This study examined two overarching topics: to what extent do faculties acknowledge class readiness, execution of lessons, and evaluation of the session; and what core content should be strengthened in a medical school faculty development program?

METHODS

In November 2012, 37 faculties completed a detailed survey on the needs of medical school faculty development programs. The 14-item survey assessed the importance, operational frequency, difficulty in accomplishment, class readiness, execution of teaching, and evaluation of the session.

RESULTS

Faculties were aware of the importance of class readiness, execution of teaching, and evaluation of the session but had a low level of accomplishment with regard to execution of the instruction and evaluation of the session. Four subitems of session evaluation were considered very important but showed low operational frequency, high difficulty in accomplishment, and low accomplishment ability. The successful discussion class item had the lowest operational frequency and accomplishment ability. The core contents that should be strengthened in medical school faculty development programs are diagnose students' class readiness (prior knowledge) (35.5%) and providing class session with suitable level/content (32.3%).

CONCLUSION

Before designing faculty development programs, a needs assessment is useful in providing more tailored content for the faculty.

Perceptions of skill development of participants in three national career development programs for women faculty in academic medicine

PURPOSE

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and Drexel University College of Medicine have designed and implemented national career development programs (CDPs) to help women faculty acquire and strengthen skills needed for success in academic medicine. The authors hypothesized that skills women acquired in CDPs would vary by career stage and program attended.

METHOD

In 2011, the authors surveyed a national cohort of 2,779 women listed in the AAMC Faculty Roster who also attended one of three CDPs (Early- and Mid-Career Women in Medicine Seminars, and/or Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine) between 1988 and 2010 to examine their characteristics and CDP experiences. Participants indicated from a list of 16 skills whether each skill was newly acquired, improved, or not improved as a result of their program participation.

RESULTS

Of 2,537 eligible CDP women, 942 clicked on the link in an invitation e-mail, and 879 (93%) completed the survey. Respondents were representative of women faculty in academic medicine. Participants rated the CDPs highly. Almost all reported gaining and/or improving skills from the CDP. Four skills predominated across all three programs: interpersonal skills, leadership, negotiation, and networking. The skills that attendees endorsed differed by respondents' career stages, more so than by program attended.

CONCLUSIONS

Women participants perceived varying skills gained or improved from their attendance at the CDPs. Determining ways in which CDPs can support women's advancement in academic medicine requires a deeper understanding of what participants seek from CDPs and how they use program content to advance their careers.