BEING STRATEGIC ABOUT FACULTY DEVELOPMENT

Both the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME) require ongoing development of faculty in order to enhance teaching, scholarship, and leadership.^1–2 To help members meet these requirements and deliver a well-trained workforce to deliver on the Triple Aim, STFM staff and members have been working on new and enhanced faculty development products and initiatives.

Conferences: Attendance at all 3 STFM conferences (Conference on Medical Student Education, Annual Spring Conference, and Conference on Practice Improvement) continues to climb, as do the opportunities for faculty development of clinical and administrative faculty. The 2016 conferences offered 1,206 educational sessions and posters.

Faculty Development Delivered: This customized, in-person training is delivered at residency programs and medical schools around the country. Trainers use interactive methods to promote discussion and encourage the adoption of evidence-based teaching principles. Topics range from effective feedback to learner assessment, to curriculum design. Each workshop includes a follow-up consultation between the trainer(s) and the program director or department chair.

Residency Faculty Fundamentals Certificate Program: This assessment-based online program, launching in late spring 2017, includes self-led courses with assignments to provide foundational training for residency faculty. Completion of the track requires approximately 20 hours and covers: (1) the structure and requirements of residency education, (2) how to be an effective and efficient faculty member, (3) the nuts and bolts of curriculum development and teaching, and (4) strategies for assessment, feedback, and remediation of residents.

Faculty for Tomorrow Webinars: The Faculty for Tomorrow Task Force, with expertise from several STFM members, has presented 4 of 8 webinars for residents and new faculty. The live format provides the opportunity for learners to ask questions of experienced faculty. Upcoming topics include Essential Presentation Skills, Clinical Teaching Skills, Giving Feedback, and Scholarly Activity. All of the webinars are recorded and made available on the STFM website following the live events.

Faculty for Tomorrow Workshop: Seventy-five residents attended the 2016 workshop for residents at the STFM Annual Spring Conference. This free workshop for those interested in careers in academic family medicine includes stories of inspiration from family medicine leaders, a guided self-assessment, breakout sessions, a mentoring luncheon, a keynote speaker, a career planning panel, and a career opportunities fair. The 2017 workshop will be on May 5.

TeachingPhysician.org: This online resource, created specifically to educate community preceptors, delivers videos, tips, answers to frequently asked questions, and links to in-depth information on teaching topics. The site was completely revamped in 2016.

Advocacy Course: The free online advocacy course was recently redesigned with a higher level of interactivity. The 5-module course provides skills and practice strategies for advocating for and promoting the value of family medicine. The course has been popular with both faculty and residents.

Faculty development is woven throughout STFM’s strategic plan, and is the foundation of a majority of the STFM products, fellowships, conferences, and communications. Visit http://www.stfm.org to learn more about all of STFM’s faculty development offerings.

• © 2017 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.