Developing a Practical Medical Educator Training Program: Meeting A Need in Faculty Development.

Isabel Dominguez,Ann Zumwalt

doi:10.15694/mep.2020.000271.1

Abstract

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Faculty who teach in medical schools typically do so because of their knowledge and expertise in their field, yet few receive training in best practices in teaching. Educator development programs that help faculty enhance their teaching skills while continuing to fulfill their existing professional responsibilities can help address this gap. Such programs may be developed and implemented locally by individuals within the institution. This guide is intended for individuals who are interested in developing educator training programs but who lack experience in program development. The article describes practical strategies for designing, implementing, and evaluating a collaborative program to teach skills and best practices in medical education. Key themes in program design, program implementation, and program evaluation and dissemination include appropriate goal setting, setting clear expectations, strong communication, and the benefits of diversity in collaboration. Educator training programs provide enhanced teaching skills and opportunities for career advancement for participants at all career stages, which in turn benefits the institution and the medical profession.

Highlights

Basic science and clinician faculty in healthcare education are typically asked to teach because of their knowledge and expertise in their field, yet few have received training in best practices for how to teach that material (Ciaccia, 2011; Peluso and Hafler, 2011; Chen et al, 2017)
Development of local educator training programs is a practical solution to the issue in medical education that many faculty lack formal training in teaching
There are many scenarios in which medical educators can benefit from additional pedagogical training, especially in an environment in which medical curricula are rapidly evolving

Summary

Introduction

Basic science and clinician faculty in healthcare education are typically asked to teach because of their knowledge and expertise in their field, yet few have received training in best practices for how to teach that material (Ciaccia, 2011; Peluso and Hafler, 2011; Chen et al, 2017). To address the superordinate goal: "Improve the skills of medical educators for teaching in an integrated curriculum," the following intermediate goals are appropriate: (1) The program will enhance educators’ ability to articulate the application of their basic science topic to clinical practice; and (2) The program will train educators in a variety of techniques to increase interactivity in the classroom. Program effectiveness refers to whether the program is effective at achieving the intermediate and superordinate program goals and what its impact was on the trainees (Appendix 1) (Menix, 2007) These types of evaluations especially must be planned well in advance as they often require collection of data even before the program begins. This is useful to share information about the program to increase institutional buy-in for the program or to recruit future trainees

Discussion

Conclusion

Notes On Contributors