Academic Faculty Members Research Articles

Evaluation of e-Problem-Based Learning (e-PBL) Sessions in the Faculty of Medicine during the Pandemic Period

Aim
 In our research, we aimed to evaluate the opinions of students and academicians about PBL carried out with distance practice(e-PBL) in a medical faculty during the pandemic period.
 Methods
 Class 1, 2 and 3 students who participated in the e-PBL sessions at Sivas Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine(SCÜTF) in the 2020-2021 academic year and faculty members who served as Educational Guides(EG) in these sessions participated in our descriptive cross-sectional study.After each PBL session, the Department of Medical Education(AD) routinely applies a PBL feedback questionnaire to the entire student population and an EG evaluation form consisting of 6 statements for them to evaluate the educational guides.This year, additional questions about online education were added to the feedback surveys in distance education.The data of the study were analyzed in SPSS 25.0 program and descriptive statistics, chi-square and Student-T were used.
 Results 
 A total of 509 students and 32 faculty members participated in our research. There was a significant difference between the PBL education guide(EG) scores of the students in the face-to-face education period in 2019-2020 and the PBL education guide scores given by distance education this year (p

Evaluating the Success of Information Systems based on System Quality, Information Quality and User Satisfaction

Computer Information Systemsis vital to organizations including Higher Education Institutions(HEIs) in this era of Big Data and Internet of Things. One example of such system is the Lecturer Information System(LIS). This paper reports the evaluation of LIS success at UC TATI, an HEI in Malaysia based on system quality, information quality and user satisfaction. A survey was administered through the distribution of an online questionnaire to academic faculty members. Results were loaded into the statistical Package for Social Sciences for analysis. An assessment was conducted to test the reliability and validity of the measurements used. Descriptive statistics and reliability analysis were used to analyze the data. Results have demonstrated the feasibilityof approach to evaluate IS success. In addition, empirical analysis has indicated positive findings with regards to system quality, information quality, user satisfaction and system success.

How can STEM disciplines support political engagement? Examining student characteristics and college experiences

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educators have a unique opportunity to prepare voters who are knowledgeable about science-related policy issues that inevitably become election issues (Rudolph & Horibe, 2016). A substantial body of higher education literature indicates that college students learn civic values and commit to civic engagement through their curricular and co-curricular experiences (Bowman, 2011; Hurtado et al., 2012). Within STEM education, in particular, we study whether, and to what extent, students’ curricular, co-curricular, and classroom experiences—as well as background characteristics—relate to political engagement. We analyze data from the 2017 Student Experience in the Research University survey, using self-reported measures of voting in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and self-assessed political efficacy for 5,838 STEM students at six research universities. We use regression analyses to examine relationships among curricular, co-curricular, and classroom experiences with STEM undergraduates’ political engagement. Instead of simply examining whether STEM majors are less politically engaged than their non-STEM peers, our analyses and results provide insights about how STEM academic departments and faculty members can support students’ political engagement. We offer implications for education policy and practice for supporting STEM students’ political engagement through undergraduate experiences.

ORAL MEDICINE EDUCATION IN PRE-DOCTORAL PROGRAMS IN U.S. DENTAL SCHOOLS

<h3>Objectives</h3> The aim of this study was to investigate the current standing of the oral medicine (OM) curriculum in the predoctoral dental programs in the United States and its relation to the students' perceptions of OM as a postgraduate specialty program option. <h3>Study Design</h3> A cross-sectional anonymous electronic survey was distributed by email to the academic deans of all Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)-accredited dental schools in the United States. The survey consisted of 2 parts: (1) Part A was completed by the fourth-year dental students and (2) Part B was completed by the academic deans or faculty members serving in a similar role. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the responses using JMP 15.0 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). <h3>Results</h3> A total of 4 rounds of surveys were sent between November 2020 and January 2021. The response rate from the associate deans was 28.4% (n = 19). The mean number of American Board of Oral Medicine–certified specialists involved in teaching OM in each dental school was 1.6 (range, 0-5). OM specialists were involved in teaching OM courses in 74% of the schools in addition to other specialists, including oral pathologists (n = 11), oral radiologists (n = 2), oral surgeons (n = 2), and 1 orofacial pain specialist. Oral pathologists alone or with oral surgeons were responsible for teaching the oral medicine courses in 21% and 5% of the schools, respectively. A total of 224 dental students responded to the survey. Most students (n = 114; 51%) reported their first introduction to OM was during their second year of dental school, 39% (n = 87) during their first year, and 8% (n = 17) during their third year. Sixty-four percent of the students thought the OM specialty was not known, 12% thought it was very poorly known, and only 13% thought the specialty was known. Only 1% of the respondents expressed interest in pursuing OM as a future postgraduate specialty choice. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Although OM specialists were involved in teaching OM in the majority of dental schools, students' perceptions and understanding of the specialty appeared to be low. Additional efforts are required to increase students' awareness around OM to better serve the important needs of our patient population.

The Requirements to Achieve Institutional Excellence at the faculty of graduate studies at king Abdul-Aziz university under the criteria of European Modal (EFQM): متطلبات تحقيق التميّز المؤسّسي بكلية الدراسات العليا التربوية بجامعة الملك عبد العزيز في ضوء النموذج الأوربي (EFQM)

The aim of this research is to determine the requirements for achieving institutional excellence at the faculty of Graduate Studies at King Abdulaziz University under the criteria of European modal (EFQM). The descriptive survey method was followed to achieve the aim of this research. The questionnaire was chosen as a tool to collect data. The sample of this research has consisted of (136) academic leaders, faculty members, and administrators at the Graduate Studies at King Abdulaziz University. The research results showed the required availability level for achieving institutional criteria under the European Modal (EFQM) the university. Whereas the availability of graduate studies faculty showed medium availability. The organizational requirements are considered as a priority than the human requirement and finally the material and technical requirements where it achieved the least important. The results showed that there are no major statistical differences between the responses of the research community members in regards to the availability of requirements to achieve institutional excellence according to type variables. There are statistical differences in the level (0.5) between the average responses of the research samples about requirement availability level to achieve excellence according to the variable of the current job, for the research sample benefit from the leaders.

Cohen’s Comprehensive Thoracic Anesthesia

Cohen’s Comprehensive Thoracic Anesthesia

The Relationship between Academic Clustering and Athletic Academic Support Center Reporting Lines in NCAA FBS Programs

This article investigates whether an association existed between the clustering of NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) student-athletes and the reporting lines of athletic academic support departments at their institutions during the 2017-18 academic year. Academic reform groups and university faculty members have argued that student-athletes cluster into a major at a higher rate when athletic academic support departments report to athletic department officials instead of university administrators not employed by athletics. The authors contacted athletic academic support directors at NCAA Division I FBS institutions to determine whether their departments reported to an administrator employed by or outside of the athletic department. Then, the authors used annual football media guides provided by athletic departments to ascertain the amount of student-athletes that were enrolled in each academic major. Finally, the authors used an ANOVA to calculate whether an association existed between an athletic academic support department’s reporting lines and the rate that football student-athletes clustered into one or more majors. The results indicated that the association between the rate that football student-athletes clustered into one or more majors and the reporting lines used by athletic academic support departments at their institutions was insignificant.

Networking practices and gender inequities in academic medicine: Women's and men's perspectives.

SummaryBackgroundStudies of gender inequities in academic medicine suggest the negative impact of men's networking practices, but little is known about how they shape faculty experiences.MethodsIn this qualitative study, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 52 women and 52 men academic medicine faculty members at 16 institutions across the US in 2019. Interviews explored participants’ experiences and perceptions of gender inequities in academic medicine, including perceptions of men's networking practices. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and transcripts were analyzed using a mixture of deductively and inductively generated codes.FindingsQualitative analysis of interview transcripts identified different dominant themes: (1) Women were often excluded from networking activities dominated by men, (2) Both women and men referred to men's networking practices in academic medicine, and believed they conferred benefits to members and excluded non-members from such benefits, (3) Participation in such networking activities yielded professional advantages, (4) Women made efforts to counteract their exclusion yet identified limits of those efforts.InterpretationThe data suggests that gender inequities in academic medicine might be associated with professional interactions that occur outside of the scope of professional work practices and in formal work sites. Additional research is needed to better understand practices such as informal networking activities and their impact in order to promote gender equity.

Exploring the effective elements on the personal and professional development among health-care providers: A qualitative study.

A new domain of "personal and professional development" was introduced as a core competency of health-care providers. This study aimed to explore the experiences of learners and faculty members about what competencies or skills were essential for the professional development and success of health-care providers. This is a qualitative study using an inductive content analysis approach in 2019-2020. In the present study, 58 academic faculty members participated by purposeful sampling including ten associate professors (17.24%) and 24 assistance professors (41.37%), in addition to 23-year medical residents (20.65%) and 4th-year nursing students (20.65%). Individual and group interviews were conducted. Data were analyzed by the inductive content analysis approach introduced by Graneheim and Lundman. The qualitative data were classified in 953 open codes and eight categories, which were further divided into four main categories: "socio-emotional skills," "life-long learning skills," "coping skills," and "well-being strategies." The present results showed socioemotional and coping skills affect interpersonal and professional interactions that contributed to their improved health-care providers' capabilities. Participants also considered lifelong learning as influential in developing professional capabilities and keeping their knowledge and skills up-to-date for accountability to duties. Moreover, using well-being strategies protects the mental and physical health of health-care providers. These skills are synergistic, and their combination can have a significant role in improving the personal and professional capabilities.

Öğrenme ve Öğretme Sürecinde Sosyal Medya Kullanımı ve Beklentiler: Öğretim Elemanlarının Görüşleri*

Nowadays, social media tools used in all fields such as politics, health, economy, transportation, public services are also used in the learning and teaching process. The main aim of this research is to investigate academic administrators’ and faculty members’ perceptions concerning the reasons and the expectations of social media usage in the teaching and learning process. With this purpose, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 20 academic teaching faculty members from different academic units, titles, and positions at Aksaray University in Turkey. According to the findings of this research, the use of social media in the teaching and learning process was similar in terms of faculty that use or not use. In this study, both the benefits and challenges of using social media for teaching and learning purposes were identified. It has been determined that the faculty members who use social media prefer YouTube most and even the ones against find YouTube useful and use them effectively in their courses. The motives stated by the faculty that use social media were; student-centered reasons such as students’ preference to use these environments, contributing to students’ perceptions and learning, fast and effective communication with students, as well as accessibility and equal opportunities in education. Those who do not prefer to use social media claimed the students’ unethical behavior in these platforms, the difficulty of creating a traditional classroom environment, and maintaining the relationship between the learner and the teacher. As a result, in order to integrate social media tools with the teaching and learning process, it is necessary to raise awareness of faculty members and students and to use social media tools that have a code of ethics, appropriate and can be integrated into the learning environments.

Gender Differences in Faculty Rank and Leadership Positions Among Physician Biochemistry Faculty in North America: A Retrospective, Cross-Sectional Study.

PurposeThis study sought to assess gender differences among physician faculty in medical biochemistry and genetics programs in North America. It compared the distribution of academic and leadership ranks, years of active research, number of citations and publications, and Hirsch-index (h-index) by gender. Variable associations with the h-index were assessed.MethodThis was a cross-sectional retrospective study for which data was collected from June 2019 to October 2019 on academic and administrative physician faculty members for medical biochemistry and genetics programs. The website of Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database, Canadian Resident Matching Service website, and the medical biochemistry profile from the Canadian Medical Association to identify relevant programs and SCOPUS was used to gather faculty data.ResultsThe analyses included 147 faculty members. More male faculty held higher academic rank positions and first-in-command leadership positions than female faculty. Men had more median years of active research, citation numbers, publication numbers, and h-index than women across all academic ranks. Upon performing multivariable linear regression, female faculty showed 0.39 times the odds of having a higher h-index than male faculty, keeping all other variables constant (p<0.01). ConclusionsIn our study, it was shown that male physician faculty surveyed had higher performance than female faculty in academic rank and research productivity. Certain barriers may be contributing factors, including lack of mentorship or flexible institutional policies, women choosing clinical educator tracks, or gender bias. Considering the low retention rates of women in academic research, there is a need to address barriers in order to achieve gender parity.

Student Subjects in Research

Student Subjects in Research

Women’s Experiences of Promotion and Tenure in Academic Medicine and Potential Implications for Gender Disparities in Career Advancement

Gender disparities in career advancement in academic medicine have persisted despite gender parity in medical school matriculation. Although numerous explanations for this gap exist, little is known about women's experiences of promotion and tenure in academic medicine. To examine women's experiences of promotion and tenure in academic medicine to uncover mechanisms associated with the gender disparity in career advancement. In this qualitative study, 52 in-depth, semistructured interviews with women academic medicine faculty members were conducted in 2019. The 52 participants were drawn from 16 medical schools across the US. Institutions were selected using a purposive sampling strategy to seek diversity of geography and ownership (private or public). Within institutions, purposive and snowball sampling were used to seek diversity with respect to respondents' degree type (MD, PhD, and MD and PhD), age, and career stage. Interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. Data analysis was performed from March to December 2020. Themes and subthemes in participants' experiences of promotion and tenure. The 52 women in this study ranged in age from 34 to 82 years (mean [SD] age, 54.0 [10.7] years). Eighteen respondents (34.6%) held an MD, 4 (7.7%) held both an MD and PhD, and 30 (57.7%) held a PhD. Fourteen respondents (26.9%) were assistant professors at the time of the study, 8 (15.4%) were associate professors, and 30 (57.7%) were full professors. Four main themes within participants' experiences of promotion and tenure that pertain to gender inequities were identified: ambiguous or inconsistent criteria for promotion or tenure; lack of standard processes for reviewing applications and making decisions; vulnerability to malicious behavior of senior faculty, department chairs, and division chiefs; and women seeing men have different experiences of advancement. The respondents' experiences of promotion and tenure suggest that promotion and tenure processes may be characterized by inconsistency and a lack of oversight, which have the potential to contribute to well-documented patterns of gender disparities in career advancement in academic medicine.

Industry payments made to academic endodontists: Sex differences and other insights into financial relationships

BackgroundIndustry payments made to health care providers can create competing interests. The purpose of this study was to define the overall financial relationships between industry and academic endodontics faculty members, detail any variation in such payment data as related to individual faculty member characteristics and leadership position by institution type, and comment on the potential impacts from conflicts of interest (COIs) created by such relationships. MethodsThe author identified and characterized academic endodontists from information on their institutional websites. The author obtained reported industry payments from 2013 through 2019 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Open Payments database. The author also noted the distributions of academic endodontists and industry payments by institution, academic rank, sex, and residency program director position. The author subjected the data to descriptive and nonparametric analyses. ResultsOf the 302 academic endodontists included, 240 (80%) accepted reported industry payments totaling $4,260,316.97. Overall, the median of total industry payments for all 302 faculty members was $217.89 (interquartile range [IQR], $34.06-$3,070.00). Among those accepting payments, the median amount was $382.80 (IQR, $110.40-$6,234.00). The top decile of paid academic endodontists received $3,669,291.47 in industry payments (86% of the total), with a median payment of $24,013 (IQR, $17,043-$91,190). Significant sex-associated industry payment differences were seen among the overall faculty and among those with the residency program director position. ConclusionsMost academic endodontists accept industry payments. Significant sex differences exist in overall faculty member academic rank distribution, leadership role, and accepted median industry payment amounts. COI issues have the potential to arise among academic endodontists when such industry payments are accepted. Practical ImplicationsExisting sex disparities in academic endodontics within the United States ideally should be acknowledged. COI issues can arise when academic faculty members accept industry payments. Public knowledge of these conflicts could negatively affect individual faculty members, their institutions, and related areas such as academic publishing. Appropriate faculty member COI disclosure, attestation, annual updates, and transparency are important mitigation measures.

Impact of accreditation on Caribbean medical schools' processes.

BackgroundCaribbean graduates contribute significantly to the US healthcare workforce. The accreditation requirements of local governments vary from one Caribbean island to another island. The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) requirement that all future applicants be graduates from accredited medical schools drove Caribbean medical schools to seek accreditation. Accreditation has been found to significantly impact the educational processes of Canadian medical schools. Our study aims at investigating Caribbean medical school leaders’ perceptions of the impact of accreditation on their school’s processes.MethodsThis qualitative study and data analysis were done using a framework analysis. Academic leaders and faculty members from three different types of Caribbean medical schools (accredited, denied-accreditation schools, never applied for accreditation) were interviewed using semi-structured interviews.ResultsA total of 12 participants from six different Caribbean medical schools participated in the interview process. Themes of processes influenced by accreditation at Caribbean medical schools were similar to those found in the Canadian context and align with best practices of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI).ConclusionsCaribbean medical schools are changing their educational processes as a result of accreditation requirements. Some processes are not maintained in a continuous manner, raising questions about the development of a true CQI culture.

Faculty leadership development: A case study of a synergistic approach

Introduction Ongoing leadership development is essential for academic health center faculty members to respond to increasing environmental complexity. At the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, an 8-month program, based on Conger’s leadership development approach emphasizing conceptual understanding, skill building, feedback and personal growth was offered to mid-level faculty charged with developing educational programs, clinical services, and/or research initiatives. We studied how specific learning methods catering to different learning approaches contributed to improving leadership competencies. Methods Session and program evaluations, participant interviews, mentor surveys, and supervisor interviews were used for data collection. Themes were identified through open coding with use of constant comparative methods to help find patterns in the data. Results Readings and classroom modules provided a broadened, holistic understanding of leadership; role plays and action plans helped participants apply and practice leadership skills; self-assessments and feedback from peers and mentors provided specifics for focusing development efforts; and personal growth exercises provided opportunities to reflect and consider fresh perspectives. Anchoring learning methods around a real-time project led to improved leadership competencies and personal confidence as reported by participants, supervisors and mentors. Conclusion A faculty leadership development program that integrates understanding, skill building, feedback and personal growth and connects multiple learning methods can provide the synergy to facilitate behavior change and organizational growth.

Hitting the Books: A Nationwide Analysis of Advanced Degrees in Academic Plastic Surgery Faculty.

Plastic surgery is one of the most competitive and innovative fields in medicine. The role of the academic plastic surgeon continues to grow beyond clinical care, and many surgeons have pursued advanced degrees (AD) to expand their professional skillset. We present an analysis of ADs of academic plastic surgery faculty in the USA, with consideration of timing of AD attainment. All academic plastic surgery faculty members were identified from plastic surgery program websites, as recognized by the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons. ADs were defined as additional degrees beyond the primary medical degree. Outcomes included timing of AD attainment, residency rankings, institutional standings, and research productivity. 949 faculty members were identified, and 167 had ADs. The most common ADs were PhD (30%), MS/MSc (18%), and MBA/EMBA (17%). Timing of AD attainment was available for 146 faculty members (84.7%). Having an AD before residency was associated with matching into higher-tiered and integrated residency programs (both p < 0.05). For attending physicians, having an AD was associated with more journal editorial board positions, more publications, higher H-index, receiving NIH funding, and median number of NIH grants (adjusted for years in practice, all p<0.05). Institutional analysis revealed that employing more faculty with an AD was associated with having an integrated residency program, higher residency research ranking, and higher tier integrated residency (all p < 0.05). ADs are growing in popularity in academic plastic surgery and are temporally associated with specific advantages in terms of residency placement, research productivity, and institutional standing. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. This excludes Review Articles, Book Reviews, and manuscripts that concern Basic Science, Animal Studies, Cadaver Studies, and Experimental Studies. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

If I Have Seen Further, It Is Because I Stand on the Shoulders of Giants

If I Have Seen Further, It Is Because I Stand on the Shoulders of Giants

Current Resident and Faculty Mentorship Satisfaction and Important Mentee Functions in Orthopedic Surgery: An American Orthopedic Association North American Traveling Fellowship Project

While mentorship remains important in orthopedic training, few studies have delineated specific priorities for creating successful mentorship programs and reciprocal satisfaction among contemporary trainees and faculty. The purpose of this study was to define beneficial mentor qualities along with specific mentee characteristics to facilitate improved mentoring relationships in orthopedic surgery. This is a cross-sectional study with a 16 multi-item self-reported survey. This study was conducted at 11 tertiary orthopedic surgery training programs during the 2017 American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) North American Traveling Fellowship Tour. Eighty orthopedic resident trainees and 90 academic faculty members completed the survey. Around 55.0% of residents and 48.9% of faculty acknowledged a formal mentorship program at their institution. Furthermore, 61.3% of residents and 61.1% of faculty reported having a current mentor. The top 3 qualities valued by residents were a mentor who modeled work-life balance, remained in touch with contemporary issues in training, and provided timely counseling. Faculty valued a mentor who accepted their goals and priorities, provided counseling, and enhanced exposure in their subspecialty. Surveyed faculty were more satisfied than their corresponding residents with how their mentor promoted them, enhanced their exposure, was a friend, and protected them from exploitative collaborations. Mentee participation was considered the most important variable for a successful mentor relationship, while mentee acknowledgement of their mentors was the least prioritized quality. Faculty had a higher overall satisfaction with their mentoring relationships in orthopedic surgery. Residents reported more favorable results when their mentor was a role model of work-life balance. For optimal success, mentors identified active participation and openness to feedback as the most important quality for a mentee to display. These qualities contribute to a heightened sense of satisfaction among mentors and mentees and can be utilized to further guide development of both formal and informal programs for residents and faculty.

Academic-clinical nursing partnership use an evidence-based practice model.

The purpose of this study was to compare the experience of a new clinical model with traditional clinical teaching and examine the effects of evidence-based practice strategies among staff and student nurses. This provides an innovative approach to nursing student clinical learning that emphasised the academic-clinical partnership with the use of a new model called the Evidence-based Clinical Academic Partnership (ECAP) model. The model incorporates three main components (a) unit transformation into an innovative hybrid version of a dedicated education unit (hDEU); (b) Evidence-in-Action (EIA) rounding; and (c) the cognitive apprenticeship theoretical framework. This pilot study used a mixed-method, quasi-experimental design. The quantitative portion included a pre-test, post-test non-randomised quasi-experimental design using self-reported survey data. The qualitative methodology used was a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to data interpretation of three focus groups with staff nurses and unit leaders. SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines were followed (Ogrinc et al., 2016). The themes that emerged emphasised relationships and the partnership with this innovative approach to clinical teaching. The staff nurses emphasised the need for a collaborative approach and having the presence of the academic faculty member as a way to support the teaching and learning aspects with students. This study did provide significant contributions to the development of an innovative clinical model and highlighted the importance of the academic-clinical partnership with the education of undergraduate nursing students. The study results provided insight to the ways the hDEU framework may be strengthened, such as increased communication and partnership in the implementation of the ECAP model. Implementing curricular change to include innovative clinical models within a nursing programme is vital in this time of healthcare transformation.